Consider this your ultimate guide to scaling content. We’re diving deep into strategies, tools, and real-world triumphs that will empower you to create content that resonates and dominates. AI-assisted brief creation, batch production, and content management systems are just the beginning. 

Prepare to break free from the mold and make your content unstoppable.

What Is Content Scaling?

Content scaling is the strategic process of amplifying your content so it reaches more people. Let’s look at two core concepts:

• Multiplication: A single, well-crafted piece becomes the seed for a network of interconnected and repurposed content, maximizing its impact and longevity.
• Diversity: Content scaling embraces the full spectrum of content formats — blog posts, social media snippets, videos, podcasts, and infographics — to engage different segments of your audience and keep them hooked.

Content scaling is the future of content creation. It’s a strategic, data-driven approach that empowers you to reach wider audiences, build stronger brand awareness, and drive meaningful results.

Why Is Content Scaling Important?

Let’s look at the benefits of scaling content output:

• Expand reach: Scaling content allows you to reach a wider audience across various platforms and channels.
• Build trust and authority: Consistently delivering high-quality, relevant content positions your brand as a trusted resource and thought leader in your industry. This essentially establishes your company as a go-to expert in your field — the one people turn to for advice and solutions.
• Boost visibility: Optimizing your content for search engines can significantly improve your website’s ranking in search results, leading to increased organic traffic. Think of your website as a storefront on a busy street — a high ranking on search results is the equivalent of a prime spot on Main Street.
• Generate leads: Compelling content acts as a magnet, drawing potential customers to your brand. Offer valuable information and insights to capture their interest and convert them into qualified leads.
• Increase revenue: Content scaling drives tangible business results. Nurturing leads using targeted content throughout the customer journey accelerates conversions and boosts your bottom line.

Content scaling empowers you to connect with your audience on a deeper level, build brand loyalty, and ultimately drive sustainable growth. Work smarter, not harder, to amplify your message and achieve tangible business results. 

Leverage Scalable Content for Brand Amplification

Scalable content acts as a megaphone for your brand’s unique voice. Consistently deliver high-quality, relevant content across various channels to increase visibility and reinforce brand identity. Having a consistent presence solidifies your brand in the minds of consumers, making you the go-to source for information, products, or services. 

Still, beware of falling into the trap of producing quantity over quality. Losing the magic touch that made your content so engaging in the first place would be catastrophic. 

How to Maintain High-Quality Content at Scale

Scaling content must never mean sacrificing quality. Maintaining — or, ideally, elevating — your standards is pivotal for long-term success. Here’s how to create a content engine that seamlessly delivers quality and quantity:

• Thorough intent and audience research
• Quality briefs
• QA, subject matter experts, and editors
• Personalization
• Clear expectations
• Diverse content mix
• A style guide

Thorough intent and audience research

Before writing a single word, learn about your audience’s needs, desires, and pain points. What questions do they ask? What information do they seek? This tells you about audience intent. Aligning content with intent ensures every piece resonates and delivers genuine value. Go beyond keyword research and think about connecting with your audience on a human level.

Quality briefs

A well-crafted brief is the blueprint for successfully scaled content. It sets clear expectations, outlines key messages, and provides direction for your content creators. Use your project brief to guide your team toward your goals and help them understand and capture audience intent. Invest time and maximize the use of technology to craft comprehensive briefs that leave no room for ambiguity.

QA, subject matter experts, and editors

Even the most talented content creators are prone to human error. That’s where quality assurance, subject matter experts, and editors come in. They’re a safety net to ensure content is error-free, factually accurate, and polished to perfection. Consider implementing a multi-step editing process, including automated checks and several layers of human review.

Personalization

Personalization is a marketing superpower. Tailor messaging to specific segments of your audience based on their interests, demographics, and stage in the buyer’s journey. Use dynamic content on your website, segment your email lists, and design ultra-personalized social media campaigns. Personalization should apply to audience segments — but you must also personalize content based on the platform you’re using. 

Clear expectations

When working with a team of content creators, establishing clear expectations and deadlines is essential. This helps everyone stay on track and ensures that projects are completed on time and to a high standard. Utilize project management tools to assign tasks, track progress, and maintain open communication.

Diverse content mix

Don’t rely on a single content format. Experiment with different types of content, such as blog posts, videos, podcasts, infographics, and social media posts. This not only keeps your audience engaged but also allows you to reach different segments of your target market that may prefer different formats.

A style guide

A style guide is a document that outlines your brand’s writing style, tone of voice, and formatting guidelines. It ensures that all your scaled content production is consistent and adheres to your brand’s standards, regardless of who created it. This is especially important when working with multiple content creators or outsourcing content creation.

Maintaining quality is paramount, but it doesn’t have to be a Herculean task. You can leverage tools and technologies to streamline the content scaling process without sacrificing an ounce of excellence.

Techniques and Tools That Enhance Content Scaling 

Ready to transform your content strategy into a well-oiled machine? These techniques and tools help you scale up content production, streamline your workflow, and maximize efficiency:

• Content management systems
• Batch content production
• AI writing assistants 

Content management systems (CMSes)

Think of a CMS as your content’s air traffic control tower, orchestrating the seamless flow of information across your digital channels. It’s a centralized platform where you can:

• Store all your content assets — blog posts, articles, images, videos — in one easily accessible location.
• Enable your team to work together seamlessly, no matter where they are located. Say goodbye to endless email chains and version control nightmares.
• Schedule posts in advance, manage revisions effortlessly, and track content performance with built-in analytics. Let the machines do the heavy lifting so you can focus on the big picture.
• Implement search engine optimization best practices to amplify content to the right audience at the right time.

According to Alan Gleeson, CEO of Contento, 68% of the top 25 B2B SaaS companies in Ireland use WordPress as their CMS. While WordPress is a popular choice, research shows that options such as Contentful or Contento deliver a performance advantage in terms of site speed, which is a crucial factor for user experience and SEO.

Batch content production

If you’re overwhelmed by the sheer volume of content, batching is a productivity lifeline. Instead of jumping from task to task like a frantic squirrel, batch content production involves focusing on one specific type of content at a time.

This approach allows you to:

• Enter a state of flow and complete tasks more quickly and efficiently.
• Create a backlog of content, ensuring a steady stream of publications even when you’re juggling multiple projects.
• Dive into the subject matter, research thoroughly, and craft your message with precision.

Many successful content creators swear by batch content production. For example, content marketing expert Clint Mally recommends creating multiple long-form pieces of content in a single week, then repurposing them into social media posts, email newsletters, and other formats. With this technique, you maximize the impact of your best content while saving time and energy.

AI writing assistants

Artificial intelligence isn’t here to steal your job; it’s here to streamline and enhance your workflow. Generative AI is a sophisticated tool that can:

• Brainstorm new topics, headlines, and angles for content.
• Analyze keywords, identify content gaps, and enhance your content’s discoverability.
• Personalize your message to specific audiences based on their interests and demographics.

Technology is a powerful ally in your quest to scale content creation. From AI-powered brainstorming tools to templates, the right technology streamlines your workflow and enhances your creativity.

How Can Technology Help in Scaling Content Production?

Crafting top-notch content at scale isn’t a walk in the park. It takes time, creativity, and, typically, a whole lot of caffeine. The following tools are poised and ready to streamline your workflow, amplify your reach, and help you unleash your creative genius. 

ChatGPT

Ever dreamed of having a writing partner who never sleeps, never complains, and always has a thesaurus handy? Meet ChatGPT. 

Use it to:

• Quickly generate first drafts of content briefs, blog posts, or social media captions.
• Transform existing content into different formats, such as turning a blog post into a script for a short video.
• Analyze keywords and suggest improvements to enhance your content’s discoverability.
• Quickly create structured outlines and detailed briefs for your content team.

Pros of ChatGPT:

• Increased efficiency: Drafts content quickly, freeing up your team’s time for other strategic tasks.
• Versatility: Use it for various content types and formats.
• Scalability: Helps you generate a high volume of content without sacrificing quality.

Cons of ChatGPT:

• Requires human oversight: Always review and edit ChatGPT’s output to ensure accuracy and maintain your brand voice.
• Potential for generic content: Often produces content that lacks originality and can require extensive additional refinement.
• Ethical considerations: Be mindful of potential biases and limitations of AI-generated content.
• Cost: Free for basic use, with paid plans offering more advanced features.

Crowd Content’s Templates 

Crowd Content’s content brief template and blog post templates enable you to consistently create content that’s structurally sound and visually appealing. Use them to:

• Save time and mental energy by following a proven formula for content creation.
• Ensure content aligns with your brand voice and messaging, creating a cohesive brand experience across all channels.
• Glean expert tips and insights on how to craft content that captivates and converts. 

Pros of using CC templates:

• Simplified content creation process: No more staring at a blank page, wondering where to start.
• Improved content quality and consistency: Create content that adheres to your brand standards and resonates with your audience.
• Cost: Free to use, making it a valuable resource for content creators of all levels.

Cons of using CC templates:

• May not be suitable for all types of content or industries: Some customization might be necessary to adapt the templates to your specific needs.
• Requires some level of knowledge and experience: While the templates provide a helpful framework, you still need to bring your own expertise and creativity to the table.

Be sure to conduct regular maintenance checks to keep your content machine well-oiled. Let’s explore the metrics that help you calculate the success of scaled content and ensure it’s making an impact.

How Do You Measure the Success of Scaled Content?

Here’s how to measure content performance:

• Website traffic
• Engagement metrics
• Lead generation
• Conversions

Website traffic

Are more people visiting your site? Are they lingering longer and browsing your pages with interest? Tools such as Google Analytics tell you which web pages are most popular and where visitors get lost or leave too soon.

Let’s say you run an online store selling eco-friendly products. Tracking website traffic might show a spike in visitors after you publish a blog post about sustainable living tips. This tells you that this type of content resonates with your audience and gets them onto your site.

Engagement metrics

Engagement metrics reveal whether users are actually getting value from your content. Are they reading, watching, listening, sharing, and commenting? Are they hooked on your every word, or do they tune out after the first few lines? Metrics such as time on page, bounce rate, social shares, and comments are real-time representations of how engaging your content is. 

Perhaps you create a series of videos demonstrating how to use your product. If viewers watch all the way through and leave positive comments, you know you’ve struck a chord.

Lead generation

Your content is a magnet for potential customers. Lead generation metrics tell you how many people are drawn to your brand. Are they subscribing to your newsletter, downloading your whitepaper, or filling out your contact form? Leads are the seeds of future sales, so nurturing them with valuable content is key.

Conversions

Conversions are the ultimate goal of any content marketing strategy. It’s the moment when a prospect raises their hand and says, “I’m in!” Whether it’s subscribing to your socials, making a purchase, signing up for a free trial, or requesting a demo, conversions are the proof that your content is performing as it should.

You’re practically an expert in scaling content by now. Let’s look at some real-world case studies of brands that successfully scaled their content efforts. 

Successful Content Scaling Examples

These brands didn’t just dip their toes into content scaling — they dove in headfirst and emerged victorious. Their brand stories offer valuable insights for anyone looking to amplify their content’s impact:

BoConcept

Here’s a glimpse at how Danish furniture brand BoConcept, enhanced content scaling using AI and centralized marketing.

The challenge: BoConcept faced the formidable task of creating and adapting marketing campaigns for numerous products, channels, sub-brands, markets, and languages. Local production agencies struggled to maintain consistency and meet the brand’s high standards.

The solution: BoConcept centralized its brand marketing efforts and partnered with an AI-powered agency to streamline content production. This allowed the brand to create master campaigns that could be scaled and localized across 64 different languages, ensuring consistent messaging and brand voice across all markets. An extraordinary level of accessibility and global inclusivity are two of AI and content scaling’s true superpowers, helping brands reach customers around the world. 

Paris Mechanical

Let’s look at HVAC company Paris Mechanical’s approach to scaling up using AI and automation. 

The challenge: Paris Mechanical was experiencing rapid growth but struggling to keep up with the increasing demand for services. Its sales and marketing processes were largely manual, leading to bottlenecks and missed opportunities.

The solution: Paris Mechanical partnered with a consulting firm specializing in AI and automation to develop a scalable marketing strategy. It implemented a suite of tools, including HubSpot Marketing Hub, Unbounce, and Google Ads, to automate lead generation, capture, and nurturing. What’s more, it tapped into the power of AI tools to generate personalized content and streamline the quoting process.

What Strategies Can Manage Increased Content Volumes?

With great content comes great responsibility. As output ramps up, you need a strategy to keep scaled content organized, efficient, and aligned with your goals. 

Here’s your roadmap to content scaling success:

1. Assemble a strong content team
2. Craft a content calendar 
3. Streamline your workflow
4. Integrate into existing campaigns

1. Assemble a strong content team

Assemble a strong team of content specialists, each with their own unique skills and expertise, including:

• Content strategists: The masterminds behind the overall content vision and direction.
• Writers: The wordsmiths who bring your ideas to life with captivating prose that sings with your brand voice.
• SMEs: The frontline industry experts who edit for technical accuracy and enhance your content’s authority.
• Editors: The grammar stalwarts who ensure content is polished and error-free.
• Designers: The visual wizards who create eye-catching graphics and layouts.
• SEO specialists: The search engine whisperers who optimize your content for maximum visibility.
• Social media managers: The social butterflies who amplify your content across various platforms.

2. Craft a content calendar 

A content calendar is a visual representation of your planned content, including:

• Topics: What are you going to write, record, or film about?
• Formats: Will it be a blog post, video, infographic, or something else?
• Channels: Where will you publish and promote your content?
• Deadlines: When will each piece of content be ready?

3. Streamline your workflow

Streamline your workflow by:

• Automating repetitive tasks such as scheduling social media posts, sending email newsletters, and delivering analytics reports.
• Creating reusable templates for different content types to save time and maintain consistency.
• Using project management tools to track progress, assign tasks, and collaborate with team members seamlessly.

4. Integrate into existing campaigns

Integrate content into your broader marketing campaigns to maximize its impact. This means:

• Sharing it across your social media channels, email newsletters, and other marketing channels.
• Repurposing your blog posts into videos, podcasts, and shareable infographics to reach different audiences.
• Using content as a way to guide potential customers through the buying journey.
• Creating a cohesive and powerful brand narrative that resonates with your audience, building a community and driving them toward action.

Content Scaling Limitations and How to Address Them

Scaling content isn’t always a smooth ride. There are a few bumps in the road you might encounter along the way. But don’t worry. With a little foresight and strategic planning, you can overcome these challenges and keep your content engine purring:

• Maintain quality at scale: As output increases, it can be tempting to cut corners to save time and resources. However, this is a recipe for disaster. Quality should always be your top priority. To maintain high standards, invest in skilled content creators, implement rigorous editing processes, and use tools to automate time-consuming tasks.
• Avoid content fatigue: Publishing a large volume of content doesn’t guarantee engagement. If your content becomes repetitive or irrelevant, audiences tune out. To avoid content fatigue, create diverse content that appeals to different segments of your audience. Experiment with new formats, topics, and angles to keep things fresh and engaging.
• Measure ROI: Content scaling requires an investment of time, money, and resources. Make sure you track ROI carefully to ensure your efforts are paying off. Use analytic tools from Google and social media to measure your content’s impact on engagement metrics such as website traffic, time on page, and conversion rate.
• Adapt to algorithm changes: Social media algorithms are constantly evolving, and that can impact your content’s visibility and reach. Stay up-to-date on the latest changes and adjust your strategy accordingly. Experiment with different posting times, formats, and content types to find what works best for your audience.
• Stay ahead of the competition: The content landscape is constantly evolving. To stay ahead of the curve, you must constantly learn and adapt. Follow industry trends, experiment with new technologies, and keep an eye on what your competitors are doing.

Proactively addressing these challenges ensures your content scaling efforts are sustainable and aligned with your business goals. 

See How to Scale Your Content Now

If content scaling sounds like a lot of effort and expense, that’s because it is. Even large brands with huge marketing budgets can struggle to manage each step of the process in-house. Let’s look at the pros and cons of outsourcing versus in-house content scaling. 

The Creation Process: In-House versus Outsourcing Scalable Content

Should you build your content team in-house or outsource to the pros? There’s no one-size-fits-all answer. The best approach depends on your specific needs, budget, and existing resources.

First, let’s explore the pros and cons of in-house content scaling:

• Pros: More control and the ability to iterate and experiment quickly if you have an existing in-house content team.
• Cons: It’s extremely expensive and time-consuming to build a team of skilled strategists, content creators, editors, quality assessors, AI experts, and SMEs from scratch.

Now, let’s study the pros and cons of outsourcing content scaling:

• Pros: Access to a wide pool of talent and expertise, making it a cost-effective solution for businesses. Outsourcing also offers the flexibility to scale up or down as needed.
• Cons: Less control over the creative process and potential for communication challenges.

Many businesses opt for a hybrid approach, combining in-house expertise with the flexibility and scalability of outsourcing. This allows them to leverage the strengths of both models while mitigating the weaknesses.

For guidance on how to find the right content creators for your needs, check out our article: How to Find Content Creators [LINK TO FORTHCOMING ARTICLE].

Your Content Scaling Strategy

Content scaling is a marathon, not a sprint. It requires a strategic mindset and a relentless commitment to quality. Following the strategies and using the tools outlined in this guide will get you on your way to creating a powerful content engine that drives results, fosters brand loyalty, and propels your business to new heights. 

Always keep in mind that increasing quantity must never compromise quality. Prioritize providing helpful, insightful, and actionable content that exceeds your audience’s expectations.

Don’t just take our word for it. Go forth and experiment. Test different approaches, track your results, and refine your strategy over time.

The post Content Scaling Strategies to Amplify Your Content Production appeared first on Crowd Content - Blog.

In actuality, content marketing and social media marketing are two very different disciplines. But they do overlap, support, and complement one another in some fascinating ways. They’re also both essential parts of any thorough digital marketing strategy.

In this comprehensive guide to content marketing vs. social media marketing, we’ll touch on everything you need to know to knock your marketing goals out of the park. We’ll cover the differences between the two and let you in on some best practices for knowing when and how to apply each.

What is the Difference Between Content Marketing and Social Media Marketing?

Content marketing and social media marketing each play unique roles in reaching audiences. Content marketing is about crafting and sharing informative materials like blog posts, videos, and ebooks, usually on your own website. It aims to educate and engage specific groups over time. The goal is to build authority and trust by providing valuable content that appeals to potential customers’ interests and needs.  

On the other hand, social media marketing focuses on creating content tailored for platforms like Facebook and Instagram to interact directly and instantly with users, sparking conversations and building community. While both strategies aim to boost brand awareness and engagement, they target audiences and achieve their goals in different ways.

Both content and social media marketing serve your business goals by raising brand awareness, contributing to conversions, and putting your brand in front of target audiences. However, each does this in its own unique way:

• Marketing content most often lives on your website (or possibly someone else’s), while social content is created specifically for individual platforms like Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), or Instagram.
• Content marketing is about educating and influencing an audience, while social media marketing is about engaging audiences and starting conversations.
• Social content is typically ephemeral and short-term, while marketing content is usually long-form, in-depth, and crafted to be useful over the long term.
• Content marketing builds authority and trust, while social media marketing humanizes brands and makes them more relatable.

In other words, content marketing is more about long-term engagement and building trust through valuable information, while social media marketing focuses on immediate interaction and community building. The two concepts complement one another greatly, and you need both to make your marketing strategy work in today’s ever-changing digital landscape. However, this doesn’t change the fact that content and social media marketing are distinctly different.

What is content marketing?

Content marketing is a strategic discipline that involves planning, crafting, publishing, and distributing targeted content to serve an audience, drive sales, and attract new customers while retaining existing ones. This marketing discipline involves a detailed process of planning, developing, and sharing content through various formats including blog posts, ebooks, videos, podcasts, infographics, and long-form articles. This is done to engage potential and existing customers by offering useful content that meets their needs and interests.

What is social media marketing?

Social media marketing is the process of planning, creating, and posting content across one or more social media platforms to connect with target audiences in a personable, accessible way. Specific posts may aim to promote products, drive traffic, initiate conversations, build community, and make the brand appear more relatable and human.

Content Marketing and Social Media Marketing Have Different Objectives

All marketing strategies and tactics have clear, actionable goals, and this is just as true for social and content marketing.

Again, there’s some overlap between the two. Many marketers may even track and analyze the same key performance indicators (KPIs) to evaluate the success of both. However, the primary underlying objectives are different.

Content marketing emphasizes the funnel and lead generation

The primary focus of content marketing is to draw potential customers into  the sales funnel and guide them through buyer’s journey. By providing valuable, relevant content at each stage of the funnel, content marketing helps nurture leads, builds trust and strengthens budding brand-client relationships.

Here are a few examples of some of the many ways this can look:

• Well-crafted blog posts, videos, or infographics—especially those with viral potential—attract and educate potential customers.
• Top-tier gated content like ebooks and whitepapers can generate high-quality leads at the top of your sales funnel.
• Robust email marketing content and ongoing blog content answer consumer questions and influence decisions as they navigate the middle of your funnel.
• Advanced content like webinars, how-to guides, online courses, and similar resources help establish the brand’s authority in the field and deepen trust with the audience.

This strategy requires high-quality copy to succeed, and services like Crowd Content provide robust copywriting solutions tailored to meet diverse goals across different niches and industries.  From crafting detailed blog posts for content marketing or engaging tweets for social media, professional copywriting services can truly elevate your brand’s marketing efforts.

Social media marketing emphasizes direct engagement with audiences

These days, social media is more than just a way to stay in touch with friends or kill a few minutes while waiting in line for coffee. It’s an important part of how consumers research purchase decisions and become aware of new product options. For that reason, a solid social media strategy is a key way for today’s brands to engage with existing and potential customers.

Here are some examples of how brands like yours leverage social platforms to satisfy this objective:

• Eye-catching social media posts draw attention as people scroll through their feeds, stopping them in their tracks and introducing them to new products or brands. This can make a memorable impact in a brief interaction.
• Successful posts start conversations, encourage sharing, and boost engagement rates. They broaden brand reach through compelling questions, call-to-action prompts, and interactive content like polls and quizzes.
• Becoming a regular presence on consumers’ social media feeds boosts brand awareness and raises the chance of a potential future purchase. This consistent visibility keeps the brand top-of-mind.
• Social media and regular engagement help humanize your brand and make it relatable.
• Many brands use social media to field customer service issues and address concerns directly. This helps in resolving issues efficiently and improves customer satisfaction and loyalty by showing that the brand is attentive and responsive. 

Which is Better: Social Media Marketing or Content Marketing?

Neither social media nor content marketing is definitively better than the other across the board. However, content marketing is better suited to long-term business strategies, while social media is ideal for more immediate results. A complete digital marketing strategy includes both and uses them in a way that complements one another.

Targeting audiences with content marketing vs. social media marketing

Both social media and content marketing require marketers to truly know their audiences. Market research, customer feedback, and tools like buyer personas can really help you here. However, how you apply these to your targeting efforts will vary.

• SEO is an audience-targeting staple with both types of marketing. Both leverage well-researched keywords to boost visibility in relevant search results. However, content marketing SEO revolves heavily around long-tail keywords and natural language processing, while social media SEO involves elements like hashtags for content discoverability and engagement.
• Content variety matters with both content marketing and social media marketing. However, while content marketing spans a wide array of formats, from written content to videos to podcasts, social media marketing will likely use a variety of content types suited for quick consumption (e.g., short videos, images and concise text posts).
• Techniques like audience segmentation are significant in personalizing marketing content and delivering the right options to the right people. With social media marketing, knowing how to create effective social media posts to suit individual platforms and playing the algorithm helps serve your posts to the right folks.
• Paid advertising can be helpful in both types of marketing to support ongoing organic efforts and drive quick bursts of traffic as needed.

Content marketing and social media marketing engagement models

Although driving engagement is one of the primary objectives behind social media marketing, it’s still essential in content marketing. Engagement can be any interaction an audience member has with a piece of your content. Examples include likes, comments, social media shares, link click-throughs, subscription sign-ups, and long dwell times.

Methods for driving engagement across both types of marketing include examples like the following:

• Investing in dynamic content that stops people in their tracks and demands attention, including unique social media posts, in-depth blog content, and exciting videos
• Inviting audiences to participate in top-tier interactive experiences to boost information retention and brand recognition
• Leveraging social proof like user-generated content, testimonials, and case studies to enhance credibility and trustworthiness
• Actively inviting readers and followers to offer their feedback, occasionally offering incentives in exchange for doing so
• Outsourcing portions of the content production process to streamline workflows while keeping quality high

Techniques and approaches like these work, and numerous case studies prove it. Here’s a brief overview of a couple to consider as you plan your next marketing move.

INK’s traffic success story

INK was looking for a way to show rather than tell their customers that their content optimization tool can move mountains in SEO, so they turned to Crowd Content for help.

We worked with them to craft a strategy that involved creating a series of fully optimized blog articles and measuring the results to create impressive proof that INK’s tools perform as advertised. As a result, INK saw an incredible 1700 percent increase in blog traffic in just over a month.

GLOBO’s success with content variety

Variety is more than just the spice of life. It also lends flavor and interest to your collective digital marketing campaign. The language-support company GLOBO needed help with its messaging and encouraged more readers to become service subscribers.

Creating a strategy that tailored content to cater to customers at various stages of the sales funnel worked. GLOBO’s website views jumped by 200 percent, and brand messaging improved accordingly.

Craftjack’s smart use of outsourcing

When keeping up with your ongoing marketing demands is more than your team can handle on its own, outsourcing content can be a fantastic option to consider. Lead-generation company Craftjack needed a go-to way to keep their marketing content flowing smoothly but couldn’t handle the job alone.

Partnering with Crowd Content gave Craftjack instant access to experienced niche writers, skilled project managers, and eagle-eyed editors who banded together to boost production. Craftjack was even able to connect with skilled Spanish-language writers to better reach another sector of their client base. The result was a 70 percent increase in organic traffic over a year.

When to use content marketing

Brands can lean into content marketing at any stage of the sales journey to help accelerate progress toward goals, connect with new customers, and keep existing audiences engaged. Some objectives that would make that an excellent choice include:

• Establishing industry expertise and authority
• Raising overall brand visibility, primarily via Google and other search engines
• Elevating SEO rankings and staying competitive on key search engine results pages (SERPs)
• Drawing new users and readers into the top of your sales funnel by showing how your brand can solve their problems
• Strengthening existing relationships by delivering valuable ongoing solutions

You can brainstorm and create better, more effective marketing content by implementing strategies and best practices like the following:

• Deliver value that goes above and beyond what your competitors are doing. Demonstrate how your products and services can uniquely solve problems and improve your customers’ lives.
• Use tools like surveys and buyer personas to develop a deeper understanding of your audience’s preferences, challenges, and behaviors. This will allow you to tailor your content more effectively to meet their needs.
• Create a detailed content calendar and follow it to the letter to keep your content efforts focused and the quality consistent.
• Offer lots of variety to keep your content flow fresh. Think videos, infographics, webinars, podcasts, and ebooks in addition to standard fare like blogs.
• Extend the reach and lifespan of your most successful content by updating it with the latest information and repurposing it into different formats. For example, a popular blog post can be turned into a video tutorial or an infographic that allows you to reach a broader audience.

When to use social media marketing

Social media marketing is a solid way to stay perpetually connected with your customers and create exciting ongoing conversations about your brand that attract plenty of fresh leads. Business objectives that call for a greater focus on social media marketing include:

• Identifying demographics and markets that could be a solid fit for your products
• Embracing cost-effective ways to get more eyes on your marketing content and drive traffic to your website
• Generating useful analytics that can help you optimize your entire marketing strategy
• Engaging directly with your audience on a one-to-one basis
• Providing better, faster, more robust customer care options
• Building overall brand awareness and recognition

Make the most of your social media marketing efforts by considering best practices like the following and looking for ways to integrate them into your strategy:

• Meet your audience where they live by building a presence on the platforms they frequent most.
• Fine-tune your approach to social media marketing to suit each platform. What works like gangbusters for Facebook posts may not resonate the same way with your TikTok audience or your Instagram strategy.
• Explore influencer marketing to tap into readymade audiences that fit your products and services perfectly.
• Encourage and share user-generated content to show social proof that people already love what your brand is doing.
• Chime in on hot topics and trends related to your industry or niche. ​​This keeps your content fresh and relatable, and can help attract new followers who are interested in those topics.

Examples of Content Marketing and Social Media Marketing

Remember that neither content nor social media marketing is about just one thing. Creative, novel approaches that combine multiple approaches often yield the best results. Here are some popular examples of approaches to content marketing:

• Blog posts
• Email marketing
• Ebooks
• Infographics
• Videos
• Podcasts
• Webinars
• Whitepapers
• Case studies
• Interactive content experiences

Popular approaches to social media marketing to mix, match, and try include:

• Influencer marketing
• Community creation
• Contests and giveaways
• User-generated content
• Sponsored social media posts

How Can Content Marketing and Social Media Marketing Work Together?

Content marketing and social media marketing work hand in hand to boost your digital strategy. Sharing your blog posts, videos, and other content on social platforms not only increases visibility but also engages your audience effectively. Social media offers a direct way to gather quick feedback and encourages your followers to share their own content, increasing engagement further. By combining these strategies, you can leverage each to maximize your reach and interaction, making your marketing efforts more dynamic and effective. 

Here are a few key examples of how content marketing and social media marketing go together as beautifully as peanut butter and jelly:

Promoting marketing content

Leveraging your reach on social media is an effective way to amplify the reach of your content, make audiences aware of new product drops, etc. Share articles, your latest blog posts, etc. Content like infographics and videos translate exceptionally well to engaging social media shares and extending your visibility beyond your immediate followers.

Zeroing in on an audience’s wants and needs

Social media is a fantastic way to acquire valuable feedback on what your audience really thinks. You can ask them directly for feedback on specific products, ideas, or content. You can also utilize solutions like social listening tools to follow conversations about your brand across multiple platforms.

Getting audiences involved

Your audience is likely one of your arsenal’s most powerful untapped marketing resources. Mobilize them by encouraging them to create and share user-generated content like photos or videos on social media, asking them to share your content to their feeds, etc.

Effective Strategies for Leveraging Both Content and Social Media Marketing

Investing in your content marketing and social media marketing campaigns separately is a solid start to making the most of both. Combining these two strategies can result in a more cohesive and powerful marketing approach. Here are some expert strategies to try.

Keep your tone cohesive across both

Brands are just like people in that each has its unique personality, voice, values, and approach to connecting with others. It’s crucial that those characteristics are consistent across all platforms. This consistency ensures that your audience receives a unified brand experience, regardless of where they interact with your content..

For example, a customer should be able to visit your Facebook page or X profile and consume content there that “feels” the same as what they’re already reading on your blog or in your email newsletter. If that’s not the case for your brand, now is the time to tighten things up. Check out how brands like Wendy’s, Go Pro, or Nike handle this and get inspired.

Integrate both into your content calendar

Thorough planning as far in advance as possible is the key to an ongoing content strategy that really cooks. Content calendars take the guesswork out of managing, planning, and creating content, especially as your business grows and you take on additional team members to help with various tasks.

Include both your marketing content and your social media posts. Identify opportunities to combine the two in creative ways that serve your audience. As always, ensure that everything you plan fully aligns with your brand voice and company values.

Cross-promote content where it makes sense

Social media posts and standard content work better together than you might think, and there are plenty of opportunities for cross-promotion.

For example, you can promote your latest blog posts and product launches across your social media channels using engaging visuals like screenshots, infographics, or custom imagery to grab attention and add value. You can also embed tweets and YouTube videos or add screen grabs of various social media posts to add visual interest to your blog posts and written content.

Find creative ways to repurpose content

Keeping multiple content channels and social media profiles perpetually filled with terrific content is no easy feat, so it pays to do what you can to make your best ideas go as far as possible. Content repurposing is one highly effective way to do that.

Here are some examples of how creative content repurposing can work:

• Break down YouTube videos and how-to guides into graphic sequences you can post to Instagram.
• Sum up key points and important takeaways from popular informative blogs in an infographic you can share on Facebook, Pinterest, X, or Threads.
• Expand your best long-form blogs into ebooks and use social media to promote them.
• Repurpose long-form content into social media-friendly short-form videos.
• Translate a popular webinar or e-course into a series of Instagram reels or TikTok videos.

Hire experts to help you

As your business grows and the demands on your content strategy increase, considering outsourcing to maintain quality and innovation can be beneficial.  Some people purchase pre-written articles to help fill in crucial content gaps.

You can also hire a trusted full-service content creation service like Crowd Content to help you with the entire process. We’ll help you manage the workload and inject fresh ideas into your strategy.  We’ll also provide assistance that cover  everything from dynamic web content to engaging social media posts to expert content management.

Benefits of Integrating Social Media Insights into Content Strategies

Insights gained from your experiences engaging with audiences on social media can be priceless assets when it comes to fortifying your content marketing strategies. You can get a read on what your audience truly likes and dislikes, as well as how they feel about various content approaches. You can then apply what you learn to reap benefits like the following.

Higher engagement rates

When you know for sure what your audience is genuinely into, you can apply what you know to create more of the kind of content your customers like best and find most useful. Applying these insights allows you to tailor your content more precisely, producing material that not only attracts attention but also encourages interaction. 

Stronger brand loyalty

Think of someone you know who’s always there for you—who always has the right answer to your questions and the best advice on a particular topic. You trust them, and you’re loyal to them, too. That’s how consumer relationships with brands develop through similar dynamics, and using social media insights wisely can help that happen for your business.

Improved SEO

Forms of social media-related engagement like shares are powerful signals to search engines that a brand is putting exceptional content out there. Using what you learn about your customers on social media to boost engagement drives traffic to your website and enhances your greater SEO efforts.

Higher overall ROI

Both content marketing and social media marketing represent investments in your business. It’s not just about money or budgets, either. Time, labor, and mental energy are resources, too, so facilitating a high return on that investment is crucial. Integrating social media insights into your strategy can help you hit the right notes more often, sending your ROI through the roof.

Budgeting for Each Approach

No two brands are exactly alike, and neither are any two approaches to digital marketing, so costs can vary for individual campaigns. However, average costs range between $6,000 and $60,000 a month for a content marketing campaign and between $500 and $5,000 per month for a basic social media management campaign.

Opting for a scalable approach via a company like Crowd Content can ensure you get the most bang for your buck right out of the gate and on an ongoing basis.

Ultimately, neither content nor social media marketing fits your company’s digital marketing strategy better. You need both to stay competitive and keep your finger on the pulse of what modern audiences are looking for. Exploring opportunities to leverage how they complement one another can eliminate the confusion of both processes.

Ready to dive into your future success and get more out of your marketing strategies? Let Crowd Content help you fill in the gaps and create something truly dynamic with quality content services on demand.

The post Content Marketing vs. Social Media Marketing: Key Differences and Which to Use When appeared first on Crowd Content - Blog.

What’s the Difference Between Content Strategy and Content Marketing?

Content creation is no longer as simple as blogging once a week. What qualifies as valuable content has evolved, and businesses now rely on content as a powerful tool to differentiate themselves from competitors and reach new customers.

When businesses publish content, they engage current audiences, attract new customers, establish authority, and drive growth. But, to deploy content successfully, it’s essential to understand the nuances between content strategy and content marketing.

While these terms are often used interchangeably, they represent distinct components of a comprehensive digital strategy. Both are geared toward achieving business goals, and they work synergistically together. 

Content strategy acts as a roadmap that guides content creation, laying the foundation for creating and managing your content assets. The strategy guides the purpose, direction, and execution of the content you create, just like a map tells a driver the direction they need to go. 

On the other hand, content marketing leverages your content so it actually reaches the audience. The idea is to use your content to establish authority, foster trust, and ultimately drive customers to choose you when they’re ready to act on their needs. 

Defining Content Strategy

Content strategy guides effective content marketing efforts. Creating a content strategy provides a plan for how your business can use content to achieve specific goals.

Four steps are typically used when creating a content strategy template:

1. Conduct research to understand your audience. Identify your target audience and create buyer personas. Analyze their pain points so you can address them. Understand what your audience needs at each stage of the buyer’s journey.
2. Define the purpose and messaging for the content. Establish clear objectives based on your business goals. Define the key messages and themes you want to convey and ensure your messaging aligns with your brand’s values.
3. Use the information you gather.  This research can guide decision-making about what types of content to produce, when to publish it, and where to distribute it. Identify the channels and platforms where your target audience is the most active. 
4. Establish metrics to measure the success of your content efforts. Note a baseline of current activities, so you know when there’s a positive or negative change. Continuously revise and adjust your content strategy based on performance data and what your audience asks for.

Content strategy comes before content creation. Developing the strategy first ensures that your content serves a purpose — it should contribute to the overall success of the business.

A strategy should encompass short-term and long-term goals. Decide what you want to achieve in the next month, 6 months, year, and beyond. Content isn’t something you can forget about once you’ve published it, either. A successful strategy also incorporates long-term content management. Your content needs to be updated as time goes on to ensure consistency and relevance across all channels and platforms.

The building blocks of a solid content strategy

Okay, so you’re convinced you need a strong content strategy, but how do you actually build one? Start with a plan that aligns your content efforts with your business goals so your published material drives results. 

A robust content strategy typically includes the following elements:

• Content mission and goals: The mission provides the overarching purpose for why your organization is creating content. These reasons for content creation should align with and support your business objectives. 
• Audience research and persona development: Who uses your services or buys your products? Create personas with as much detail as you can. Include ages, genders, locations, income levels, education, and personal values and interests. 
• Style guide: Create guides covering brand voice and tone, how to use logos and colors, and basics like grammar. 
• Content audit and gap analysis: Identify areas where your competitors have content that you don’t. When you start publishing content, you can later identify areas where your competitors have content that’s similar to your content but performs better.
• Content monitoring and processes: Establish workflows and oversight processes to ensure quality and consistency across every piece of content you create. Decide how you plan to evaluate and approve your content and define a procedure for revisions.
• Content types and formats: Specify the mix of content types that best suit your target audience. This may include blog posts, social media posts, videos, infographics, e-books, podcasts, or webinars.
• Content creation and curation plans: Once the content types are defined, decide how to ideate and produce new content.
• Content distribution and promotion strategies: Outline when, how, and where to distribute and promote your content. Establish your company on YouTube and social media platforms, but also consider paid promotion through ads or influencers. On-page SEO should also be considered as an important part of the strategy.
• Content measurement and optimization: Define which metrics you’ll rely on to determine success once your content is live. Track conversions and analytics so you can spot what’s working and what isn’t. Then, refine your plan as needed. 

Aligning Content Strategy With Business Objectives

Producing content for the sake of producing content is like setting out on a road trip without knowing where you’re going. First, define your business’ purpose, values, and goals. Then, shape the content strategy to support those. 

Every piece of content you create should be a stepping stone that leads your audience where you want them to go. Your content strategy provides the roadmap for your goals, whether that’s to increase brand awareness, generate leads, nurture customer relationships, or drive sales.

Content can deliver tangible results, so your organization’s goals play a crucial role in defining your content creation and content marketing tactics. You can spend time and energy creating all sorts of content, but with a little forethought, that time and energy can lead to your desired outcome.

Content Strategy Examples

Let’s say you’re the owner of a software company looking to develop a content strategy. A majority of your audience needs user manuals and other product documentation. To answer this need, you develop a comprehensive content strategy for creating and managing product documentation. First, you should conduct user research to determine what information your audience needs. Then, define the content types that make sense for your audience. This may include short video tutorials or an expanded FAQ section on your website. 

As another example, you might be revising the corporate website for a manufacturing company to enhance its online presence. Define your target audiences, identify the key messages, and create a content calendar for regular updates. To help search engines easily find and rank your content, implement SEO best practices.

What about a content strategy to develop thought leadership? First, you’d need to identify relevant topics. Then, develop a mix of content formats. This would likely include blog posts, white papers, and webinars. Develop a plan to distribute these formats and establish relationships with other websites where you could contribute. 

Regardless of the types of content you settle on, there should be an established voice and tone. An oversight plan helps to ensure accurate, relevant, and up-to-date information for consistency across all access points.

Understanding Content Marketing

A content strategy provides the recipe, but content marketing is when you really start cooking. Creating, distributing, and promoting content brings your content strategy to life.

Remember, the strategy defines the goals of your content marketing efforts. Unlike traditional advertising, in which a potential customer might walk by a billboard or see a few seconds of one of your TV ads while channel-surfing, content marketing is targeted and focused. Because you’ve developed your audience personas, you know who you’re trying to reach and what their buyer’s journey looks like. 

Effective content marketing tactics

What do you want your customers to do? Create a separate plan for each outcome. Do you want your existing customers to make a new purchase or to purchase an upgraded product to replace one they already have? Do you want people who are new to your brand to subscribe to your newsletter? Or maybe you want to increase your social media followers. Define the goals as part of the strategy, then create an effective content marketing tactic to achieve them. 

Effective content marketing tactics include:

• Storytelling and brand journalism: Share customer stories and case studies that demonstrate success with your products or services.
• Educational and informative content: Knowledge-based content can take many forms. Showcase step-by-step tutorials or data-driven research that addresses your audience’s needs.
• Thought leadership and industry insights: Weigh in on and share transparent information about anything that impacts your industry. 
• User-generated content and social media engagement: Encourage and reward your customers for engaging with your brand. Acknowledge their comments and reshare. Giveaways or other rewards can help your customers know they’re appreciated.
• Content repurposing: Get the most out of your content by using it in different ways. For example, turn a video script into a blog post. Convert a webinar into a series of social media posts. Extract key insights from a white paper to create shareable infographics.
• Cross-promotion: Cross-promote your content on your social media channels, on your website, and in your newsletters. People interact with your brand in different ways and through different means, so this gives them multiple touch points.
• Lead nurturing and email marketing campaigns: Keep the conversation going once someone has engaged with your brand by sending them information that helps them learn about and grow with your products or services. 
• Influencer collaborations and guest posting: When people see influencers or other brands they respect using or promoting a product, it often reinforces trust and credibility.

Choosing the right channels for content distribution

Where does your audience spend time online and consume content? A brand that appeals to young people may want to optimize interactions on TikTok. A DIY-oriented brand would likely find success on a highly visual platform, such as YouTube or Instagram. Steer your content toward the platform that’s right for your audience.

Different distribution channels appeal to different demographics, interests, and behaviors. Research your audience’s preferences through surveys, social listening, or analytics. Find them where they’re already active.

Content Marketing Examples

Imagine you’re developing a content marketing framework for a clothing company. Your marketing may start with a TikTok account featuring fashion tips. A lookbook on your website could show different ways to style the outfits. You could share behind-the-scenes stories of how your clothes are made and how you decide on your styles. Finally, you might share photos of actual customers wearing your clothes to build brand loyalty. 

Content marketing examples for a software company, on the other hand, might involve creating a podcast featuring interviews with industry experts and customer success stories. You might share regular product updates through a newsletter. You could foster engagement with existing users on social media channels and attract potential customers by contributing content to other popular sites with industry-leading blogs. 

In both examples, the created content could be promoted across your social media channels and through email newsletters.

Synergizing Content Strategy and Marketing for Impact

While content strategy and content marketing have distinct roles, they rely on each other for success. A well-defined content strategy provides the foundation for effective content marketing. If you’re creating content that doesn’t take your organization’s goals into account, or if you’re creating content that doesn’t align with your values as a company, your content efforts will likely be ineffective. For example, if your brand relies on a message of sustainability, you should avoid creating content that inadvertently promotes environmental harm.

Integrating strategy and marketing for enhanced impact

When content strategy and marketing work together, it creates a cohesive experience for your audience. When the efforts are aligned, messages are consistent across all platforms, and your content resonates with the people you’re trying to reach. This integration is important to ensure your content drives desired outcomes. 

Adapting content strategies in dynamic markets

If there’s one thing any content creator will tell you, it’s that the digital market is an ever-changing target—but there are ways to ensure you can still hit it. In addition to being flexible, keep an eye on the overall market so you’re aware of when you need to adapt. Ideally, you’ll figure this out before the need arises instead of responding to something you didn’t anticipate. 

Successful organizations understand effective content strategies and marketing efforts are adaptable. Consumer behaviors change, trends emerge, and technologies evolve. By combining best practices with a flexible approach, businesses stay responsive.

Measuring Success

Consistently measure your content’s performance through well-defined key performance indicators. Identify the key metrics necessary to determine the effectiveness of your content marketing efforts. Without knowing what numbers you’re tracking, it’s impossible to understand what’s working, what’s not, and how to optimize for better results. Use a range of analytics tools and techniques. 

Key metrics for content success

In general, there are several broad categories of metrics content teams should measure.

• Website metrics: Page views, unique visitors, traffic sources, engagement, conversion rates
• Search metrics: Organic search traffic, keyword rankings, technical SEO factors
• Social media metrics: Reach, engagement, shares, mentions, audience growth
• Email metrics: Open rates, click-through rates, unsubscribe rates, conversions
• Lead generation: Lead volume, marketing qualified leads, sales qualified leads 
• Sales impact: Opportunities influenced, deal value, customer acquisition costs
• Return on investment: Content costs for your efforts compared to the profit your efforts generate

Overcoming Challenges in Strategy and Marketing

Even with the best content strategy and marketing, challenges inevitably arise. As mentioned above, the market changes quickly, which means goals change too. Organizations often face obstacles when it comes to adapting and executing. 

To ensure success in the face of difficulties, it’s essential to understand your audience and your market in as much depth as possible. Continuously monitor how you allocate your resources to be sure you’re using them wisely. Assess the messages you’re sharing and why. Determine if you’re reaching enough people to achieve your goals. Empower your team to communicate with you about any concerns, challenges, or opportunities they encounter. This knowledge should help you stay on course.

Navigating common content strategy and marketing challenges

One common challenge arises when teams are working on different aspects of a single goal without the knowledge of what the other is doing. You can prevent this by fostering cross-team collaborations. Ensure everyone in your organization knows what the overall goals are and what part they play in reaching those goals.

You should establish shared goals and metrics that keep everyone working toward the same objectives. Clear guidelines and responsibilities for everyone on your team may help support this. Delegate an individual or a group to review the content for consistent and appropriate messages. 

And don’t forget to stay agile. It’s imperative you develop a plan that’s also flexible with changing market conditions or audience needs. 

Bridging Strategy and Marketing for Content Excellence

Remember, excellent content follows naturally from an excellent plan. A harmonious relationship between your content strategy and your content marketing brings your strategy to life. Whether your goal is to increase sales or establish yourself as a leader in your industry, fuel your growth by creating a plan and using it to create compelling, goal-driven content.Tap into Crowd Content’s content strategy expertise to boost your digital impact. See how our content strategy services can revolutionize your marketing efforts and elevate your brand. Start planning your content strategy now.

The post Key Distinctions to Know About Content Strategy vs. Content Marketing appeared first on Crowd Content - Blog.

AI isn’t here to steal your creative thunder; it’s a secret weapon you can use to brainstorm fresh angles, conduct deeper research, and refine your writing with precision. In today’s digital marketing battleground, understanding AI-powered content creation isn’t just a clever move — it’s a necessity. 

Savvy marketers are already using AI to unlock new levels of efficiency and transform their workflows. But like any powerful tool, AI has a learning curve. Understanding how to navigate its complexities is key to harnessing its power and staying at the top of your game.

The Evolution of AI for Content Creation

The evolution of AI in content creation was slow and steady until the turn of the millennium, when technological advancement suddenly skyrocketed. The idea of AI might feel cutting-edge today, but the groundwork has been laid for decades. 

Let’s break down the key milestones:

• Early days (1950s-1990s): The foundation for AI was initially laid with Alan Turing’s 1950 paper, Computing Machinery and Intelligence, and the development of Eliza, a rudimentary chatbot. Basic spell-checkers and grammar tools later hinted at AI’s potential.
• Natural language processing (NLP) advances (2000s): Significant strides in NLP led to more sophisticated language understanding for AI. This paved the way for tools offering summarization, synonym suggestions, and basic sentence structuring assistance.
• The rise of large language models (LLMs) (2010s-present): Google developed transformers in 2017 and revolutionized NLP. LLMs such as OpenAI’s GPT-3 emerged around 2020, demonstrating impressive language generation, translation, and content optimization capabilities.

These days, AI isn’t just about automating small tasks. It can partner with you at every stage of the content creation process, including research, ideation, writing, and refinement. And the pace of innovation shows no signs of slowing down, with new tools coming out each year.

AI Tools for Enhancing Content

Deadlines loom, and you’re buzzing with ideas. What if you had a digital assistant to kick-start creative flow, streamline research, and polish prose until it shines?

That’s the power of AI-powered content creation tools. Actually, they’re more like content enhancement tools at the moment. They aren’t going to write your viral blog post with the click of a button, but they are valuable partners in your content journey. 

Gemini

Gemini scouts out competitor content, locates authoritative sources, and highlights gaps for you to fill with insightful and original copy. 

When you’re done writing an article, paste it into Gemini and specify areas you’d like it to analyze. It offers suggestions for improvement and tells you what you’ve aced. Detailed and specific prompts always inspire the best outcomes.  

SEO evangelist, George Varkey, shares his Gemini prompt for brainstorming content ideas.

What it does best: Research and analysis

We’ve all been there. Drowning in tabs and buried in PDFs, trying to piece together the big picture. Gemini does the heavy lifting — well, part of it. Asking it to do research on your behalf is risky, as it’s prone to hallucinations. 

However, it can summarize studies, web pages, and posts that would take you hours to read yourself. It can also analyze vast data sets to reveal hidden connections and patterns that might have slipped past you, giving your content a strategic edge.

How does Gemini compare to Google Search? 

Sure, Google Search is a knowledge powerhouse. But it’s similar to a massive, unorganized library. Gemini is your personal research assistant within that library. It fetches the right books, summarizes key sections, and highlights critical insights.  

Copy.ai

Copy.ai is a go-to tool for short, punchy content creation. Think marketing slogans, snappy social media posts, and persuasive product descriptions. Need fresh angles for an ad campaign? Copy.ai brainstorms ideas, suggests catchy headlines, and helps you achieve the right tone. Plus, it can whip up basic research summaries to get you started.

Don’t expect it to write your next thought-leadership article, though. Accuracy is hit-or-miss, and you’ll need to think carefully about plagiarism. Tech Report’s William Baxter offers some crucial advice:

What it does best: Content inspiration 

Copy.ai excels at generating a flurry of ideas quickly. Its strength lies in its ability to generate creative variations, helping you break out of a rut or find the perfect word choice. It’s your brainstorming buddy, always ready to bounce ideas around.

How does Copy.ai compare to CoSchedule’s Headline Analyzer?

While a headline analyzer scores your headline and recommends improvements, Copy.ai does the whole thing for you. It helps you craft short-form content pieces and offers research assistance.

Grammarly

Grammarly hunts down typos, suggests word replacements, and flags potential grammatical errors. Plus, it analyzes tone and overall clarity. Need feedback on a draft’s readability? Grammarly has your back. However, don’t rely on it to catch complex factual errors, offer creative ideas, or help structure your content strategy.

What it does best: Helps you catch spelling, grammar, and awkward phrasing

Grammarly excels at boosting the clarity and correctness of your writing. The tool is particularly adept at catching the sneaky typos and awkward phrasing that tends to slip past human eyes. Each week, it gives you a report with insights into your writing that you can use to improve your writing in the future. 

How does Grammarly compare to spell-check?

Grammarly is like Windows spell check on steroids. The premium version can even help you find weak adjectives and better alternatives. This type of feature helps you improve as a writer over time. 

Can LLMs check for grammar and spelling?

Keep in mind that even advanced LLMs, such as ChatGPT and Gemini, aren’t capable of reliable copy editing or grammar checking. While they can give you an overall analysis of your content’s grammar, style, and punctuation, they can’t do what Grammarly does.

For example, if you ask Gemini to fix your punctuation and grammar, it will likely give you a more concise version of what you wrote. However, it probably won’t make sense.

You’ll notice it has amended the text a little but hasn’t added anything in terms of grammar. In fact, it’s taken two sentences and joined them together into one giant mega-sentence.  

Always double-check facts, figures, and everything else in AI-generated content. Accuracy is crucial for maintaining trust. Without your human spark, content won’t demonstrate E-E-A-T, and Google will consider it spam — yes, even if it was written by Google’s own Gemini. If you become overly reliant on AI for content creation, expect your engagement metrics to fall drastically. 

Engage Your Audience With AI Personalization Tools 

Through analysis of your audience’s preferences and behaviors, AI personalization tools help you craft content that feels tailor-made, leading to deeper engagement and stronger connections.

Albert.ai

Albert.ai is an autonomous AI marketing strategist, specializing in personalized content and ad campaigns. It analyzes vast swathes of customer data, identifying patterns and trends within your audience. Based on this, Albert.ai tweaks ad targeting, optimizes content delivery, and even suggests new content formats to maximize engagement.

That said, it requires a significant amount of data to function effectively, and setup can be complex for smaller businesses without dedicated tech support. It’s also incredibly expensive. 

What Albert.ai does best: Tailoring marketing efforts at scale

This tool excels at analyzing data to identify highly specific audience segments, and then dynamically adjusts content or bidding strategies across multiple platforms in real time.

How does Albert.ai compare to audience segmentation tools?

Albert.ai’s personalized ad campaign management is similar to the audience segmentation tools on platforms such as Mailchimp, but it has a broader reach and more advanced automation capabilities.

Although Albert.ai is a powerful tool, it still clearly reinforces the importance of human-AI collaboration.

Rytr

Rytr is a low-cost AI writing assistant that includes several personalization tools. It generates alternative text variations so you can test what resonates with different audiences. Impressively, the tool can rewrite content in various tones, such as formal or casual. 

What it does best: A/B testing 

Need to tailor social posts, emails, or ads for different audiences? Rytr quickly generates variations in your chosen tone, from formal to friendly. In turn, you can test which versions resonate best with your target audience. All in all, it’s an easy-to-use platform that introduces you to the benefits of AI content personalization, without any complex setup.

How does Rytr compare to Buffer’s A/B testing tools?

Rytr’s personalization features are comparable to Buffer’s A/B testing tools, allowing you to see how different word choices impact engagement.

As a writing assistant, it can also create content on your behalf. However, like any LLM, it generates basic, uninspired content that’s full of errors. Regie Njoki Kibugu’s example of what Rytr can do showcases its limitations as an actual writer:

Remember that Google indiscriminately flags low-effort content as spam. Even with the best intentions, it’s impossible to rank without expert writing, editing, and strategy guiding your efforts.   

Climb the SERPs Using AI Tools for SEO

While user intent has always been important, the latest upgrades to Google’s algorithms mean it’s now front and center. These AI-driven technologies have a deep understanding of context, signaling a shift toward more conversational content that directly answers users’ questions.

SurferSEO

SurferSEO is a powerful AI-based content optimization tool. 

Take a look at our in-depth review of SurferSEO to learn more about what it can do.

QuestionDB

QuestionDB is one of the best free AI tools for capturing user intent and turning it into content. Learn more about it in our AI tools for SEO article.   

What AI-driven SEO strategies can content creators adopt?

AI can help you analyze what competitors are ranking for, spot gaps you can fill with killer content, and suggest the best conversational keywords. What’s more, Google adores well-structured content that’s easy to navigate — AI tools can help you get the formatting just right. 

How is AI influencing SEO practices in content creation?

The influence of AI means analyzing search trends and understanding user intent should go way beyond keywords. It’s about deciphering what people truly need. AI can crunch enormous data sets, identifying patterns and subtle nuances in how people search. This reveals the questions they’re asking, the problems they’re trying to solve, and their emotional state.

Access to this type of information gives you a serious edge. Yes, you can optimize for high-traffic keywords, but that’s table stakes. To win at SEO and rank high on the SERPs, you must craft content that resonates deeply with your audience while aligning with search engines’ understanding of context. 

A Guide to Building Your AI Content Strategy

Integrating AI into your content strategy isn’t about replacing your existing processes. Instead, aim to strategically enhance them. Here’s how to strike the right balance:

• Start with goals: Don’t adopt AI for the sake of it. What specific bottlenecks does AI address? Are you aiming for faster ideation, deeper research, or more efficient editing? Define your goals to guide your tool selection.
• Choose wisely: Consider budget, team skills, and content needs. A powerhouse such as Albert.ai is overkill for a small blog, while Rytr lacks the depth required for in-depth articles. 
• The human touch: AI is a powerful teammate, not a replacement for your team — unless you’re prepared to significantly increase your own workload. Use AI for its strengths, such as data analysis, content ideation, and creating content briefs. Leave strategy finessing, nuanced understanding, and consistent brand voice to human experts.
• Do and learn: AI and content landscapes evolve rapidly. Regularly reassess how your tools are performing against your goals. Don’t be afraid to experiment and keep looking for new solutions.

Innovative approaches to using AI for content planning

Beyond efficiency gains and research assistance, AI unlocks novel possibilities for content planning.

• AI-assisted content briefs: You’re juggling multiple clients and projects as a content agency. AI tools can analyze a client’s existing content, competitors, and target audience. This provides a strong foundation for content briefs. Add your expertise and refine the brief, saving hours on research and strategy while leveling up your content game.
• Predictive analytics: Say you run a travel blog. AI tools can monitor trending destinations mentioned on social media and competitor websites. This gives you first dibs on emerging hotspots, positioning you to create timely content with a better chance of ranking high on the SERPs.
• Hyper-personalization: AI tracks user interactions, identifying their areas of interest. Using that intel, you can suggest personalized content journeys and strategically show relevant articles, videos, and resources, deepening their engagement on your site.
• Repurposing with a twist: You’ve written a comprehensive industry report for your tech company. AI can break it down into digestible, catchy social media posts, create explanatory infographics, and even generate a basic webinar script.

AI Will Continue to Transform Content

Technology keeps marching forward. Don’t get left in the dust. It’s time to experiment, adapt, and harness the power of AI to elevate your content. 

Sign up for our newsletter so you can stay updated on AI’s impact on content creation and tap into the resources and ideas you need to thrive in the age of AI-powered content.

The post How to Use AI for Content Creation appeared first on Crowd Content - Blog.

What exactly is this essential tool? A content brief is a set of instructions that lays out what your team needs to accomplish with a piece of content. It outlines details such as objective, word count, keyword placement, formatting, and tone, all backed by solid audience research and data. Follow along as we show you how to create an effective brief to maximize the impact of your content strategy. We’ll also share a downloadable content brief template that you can customize for your own needs.

How to Write a Content Brief to Guide Content Creation

A content brief is like an instruction manual, summarizing the requirements for building each piece of content. Everyone on your team, including writers, editors, subject matter experts, SEO specialists, and designers, should be using this reference document to guide them in the content-production process.

It might feel like a time-consuming and unnecessary step; after all, can’t you just give your writer a topic and some keywords and call it a day? In our experience, the time spent building a content brief pays off handsomely down the line. You’ll get closer to your goals on the first draft while also ensuring your content strategy is properly implemented.

A thorough content brief:

• Establishes the goal of a piece
• Defines the target audience
• Ensures your content stays on brand
• Reduces uncertainty and time spent clarifying issues
• Summarizes important points to be covered
• Boosts productivity by allowing writers to focus on execution
• Reduces editing and the need for rewrites
• Speeds up approvals, because stakeholders have signed off on the brief
• Supports content outsourcing, allowing anyone to step in and immediately understand project requirements

Tools for content brief creation

You can accelerate the creation of your content briefs by leveraging some of the AI-powered tools on the market. These platforms automate tasks like keyword research, audience analysis, and ideation, freeing up your time to focus on storytelling, creativity, and ways to make your content stand out.

A few different tools are worth having at your fingertips:

• Content creation tools: AI content creation tools can help generate ideas for blog posts, develop outlines, and lay the groundwork for content briefs. The key to these platforms, however, is to use them as a launching pad. To make your final product unique, you’ll still need to take the time to customize your brief for your particular audience and business goals.
• SEO tools: Keyword research tools are critical for creating the content your audience is searching for. Use these platforms to generate keyword ideas, analyze competitor strategies, and clarify user intent. Some tools can also generate outlines and recommend target keywords, word count, and readability scores based on top-ranking pages.
• Audience analytics: Segment your audience to tailor your content more precisely. Google Analytics provides aggregate information on who’s visiting your website, where they’re located, and what their interests are. You can also see which pages they’re engaging with on your site — and which ones they’re not — to help you better address your audience’s needs and preferences. 
• Content brief generators: Platforms such as Thruuu and Keyword Insights analyze search result pages to generate briefs for your content. Use these to get a head start on your brief and supplement them with your own expertise and knowledge to ensure your content is valuable and unique and meets Google’s E-E-A-T guidelines.

Step 1: Define Your Project Goals

Now it’s time to write a content brief. The first stage of the process is to set your content marketing goals, which should be guided by the needs of your business.

Many brands use the SMART framework to clarify what they need to accomplish when setting goals. SMART stands for: 

• Specific: What do you want the content to achieve? Why does it matter?
• Measurable: What does success look like? Make sure it’s quantifiable.
• Attainable: Do you have the resources available to meet the goal?
• Relevant: Does the goal matter? Is it aligned with your brand’s priorities?
• Time-bound: What’s the time frame for achieving the goal?

You might decide your objective is to increase website traffic. Use the SMART framework to break down the goal and give yourself a clear sense of direction: 

• The specific goal is to increase website traffic by 20%.
• It will be measured through metrics such as keyword position, click-through rates, and traffic.
• It will be achieved by scaling the production of helpful, optimized blog content.
• The goal is relevant because it supports lead generation and revenue.
• The time frame for the goal is six months.

Realizing your goals through purpose-driven content

With your objectives in hand, determine the type of content needed to achieve them. Each piece of content should have a clear role in your overall strategy. 

Many businesses focus on blog posts, but you can use a variety of formats, depending on what you want to convey. We’ve highlighted some common content types below, organized by why you might use them for audience engagement.

Generating leads

• White papers
• E-books
• Blog posts
• Landing pages

Establishing authority

• Thought leadership
• Guest blogs

Building brand awareness

• Social media posts
• Informational blog posts
• Infographics

Retaining customers

• Product tips
• How-to guides
• Tutorials
• Email newsletters

Step 2: Identify Your Target Audience 

Your audience is at the heart of your content strategy — they’re the reason you craft and share content. They influence the type of content you create, the way you express your message, and the content distribution channels you use. Your content must be authentic and engaging. The more insight you have into your audience’s motivations and preferences, the better you can tailor your content.

Audiences aren’t uniform, so begin by segmenting them according to shared characteristics such as age, gender, location, or interests. You can then use these segments to customize their user experience. For example, some customers may prefer shopping directly on social platforms while others like product recommendations in their inbox. Make sure you’re marketing in the right places with content that speaks directly to your customers’ interests.

Incorporating audience personas into your content brief

Audience personas are extremely powerful tools for guiding your content marketing strategy. When it comes to content briefs, however, the challenge is making this information useful for writers. Rick Leach, our VP of Content Operations, elaborated on this in a Crowd Content podcast. He notes that vague audience demographics don’t help writers tailor their content in an impactful way: 

“What I’ve started to do in the briefs we create is to give audience insights rather than a persona,” he says. “What are our audience’s pain points … What resonates with this audience as it relates to this content? That type of information in the hands of a writer is very valuable.”

He goes on to say that pain points change, depending on the topic, so you should revise this section in every content brief to sufficiently equip your writers. “Now it’s informing how they write that article,” he explains. “It helps [the writer] empathize with the audience’s specific pain points on the subject matter and present solutions that should resonate.”

Advanced techniques for audience research

So how do you go about gathering these insights about your customers? Here are a few suggestions:

• Communicate directly. Use surveys, interviews, and focus groups to understand their priorities, frustrations, and concerns.
• Listen in on social networks. Learn what customers are saying about your industry, brand, and competitors in online communities and on blogs and social platforms.
• Leverage market research tools. Build in-depth profiles of your customers using audience intelligence platforms such as SparkToro or Audiense.
• Conduct behavioral analytics. Understand how your customers engage with your marketing channels through web analytics tools, heatmaps, and session recordings. You can see where your content successfully engages them and where you may need to improve.

Step 3: Outline Content Specifications 

When you’ve determined the type of content you want to create, it’s time to drill down to the details. Your team will need certain information to execute the content, so use the list below as a checklist for your content brief. The more precise you can be in the brief the better, so include any additional resources or notes you think may be helpful. 

• Content type: Specify the type of content you’re creating, such as a blog post, white paper, landing page, or case study. 
• Summary: Describe in a few sentences what the content should cover to guide the piece and ensure it stays on track. For example, the summary for the article you’re reading right now might be “Explain how to write a content brief, covering steps such as audience research and SEO.”
• Objective: Explain what the piece should accomplish and the key takeaways.  
• Content outline: Detail the topics to cover, including suggested section headers.
• Target audience: Provide insights about audience pain points and the type of problems they want to solve.
• Style: Establish stylistic requirements such as formatting, point of view, abbreviations, and comma usage. These should be consistent across your content inventory.
• Voice and tone: Elaborate on how the writer should communicate to your readers. Voice and tone affect how audiences perceive and relate to your brand. 
  

Defining your content’s voice and tone

Let’s talk a little more about voice and tone, because the way you express your message is critical to how audiences react to your content. Two elements come into play here — your brand voice and the content’s tone.

• Brand voice is the overall personality of your business. It’s tied to your organization’s mission and values and helps distinguish your brand from others. For example, your voice might be sophisticated, humorous, socially conscious, or bold. Voice should be consistent throughout your content so audiences know what to expect and can begin to build a relationship with your brand.
• Tone is the mood or feeling you set within a specific piece. Tone often changes, depending on the purpose of the piece or distribution channel. You might use a playful tone on social media to capture attention and a formal tone in a white paper to establish authority.

Writers need to know your voice and tone because it affects:  

• Word choice
• Sentence structure
• Point of view 
• Vocabulary level
• Descriptiveness or storytelling techniques

For example, to achieve a professional tone, a writer might use third-person point of view, longer sentences, and a formal vocabulary. Conversely, acasual tone usually consists of shorter sentences, colloquialisms, and rhetorical questions. You can also specify these requirements in your content brief.

Step 4: Structure Your Content 

You can give writers the freedom to create content as they see fit, but the more structure you provide, the more likely the final product will satisfy your goals and audience needs. 

Research your topic and add value

The key to ranking well is to tackle a topic better than your competitors. Review the pages that are ranking for your keyword — not to copy your competitors’ content but to find ways to improve on the content. A content gap analysis can help you gain ground on the competitors. During your research, gather ideas, statistics, examples, and case studies that will help you create a useful, valuable piece. 

Crafting an engaging and coherent outline

Organize your ideas into sections. Use your main points as headers and add supporting points in the relevant sections. Try to build a logical structure for your content.

Use an inverted pyramid style of writing to present the most important information first, working your way to the details. This approach works well for the overall structure of a piece as well as for individual sections. It helps create a logical flow so you can lead your reader through the content seamlessly.

Each section should tie back to the purpose of your article. If it’s not relevant, it should probably be removed to ensure your article is cohesive. For example, if the purpose of your article is to explain how to make the perfect cup of coffee, a recipe for coffee cake likely isn’t relevant — no matter how delicious it sounds.

Integrating UX design principles into content structure

Consider implementing a user-friendly structure for each type of content on your website. You might have one structure for blog posts, for example, and another for service pages. Writers will know right away how to structure the relevant piece of content.

Browse through the Poppy & Peonies website, and you’ll see that they use the same structure for all of their product descriptions — a descriptive paragraph, followed by bullet points. This structure is easy for readers to consume. 

MoneyTips, which writes on complex financial topics, structures each article with an introduction followed by a three-bullet summary. “The Short Version” helps surface key information right at the top of the article.

Step 5: Incorporate SEO and Keywords 

Your content marketing strategy should be guided by keywords to ensure audiences can discover your content in search engines. List your target keywords in your content brief so your writer can incorporate them according to SEO best practices. 

Typically, you’ll focus on a primary keyword and a few secondary keywords that are variations of the primary keyword. According to best practices, you should use your primary keyword in:

• The title
• Introductory paragraph
• One H2 header
• URL slug
• Meta title and description

Secondary keywords can be used once in the body copy, but use keywords only if they fit easily into your copy. You can adjust awkward keywords to make them sound more natural.

Keywords should just be a guide for your content. Writers should focus on creating helpful content that engages readers, not on search engines. That’s where you’ll find the most success. For example, while there are tools that check your content for keyword density, relying on them often means you’re writing to satisfy Google and not your human readers. Search engines are sophisticated enough to understand your content if you address a topic comprehensively. There’s no need to stuff it with keywords.

Mastering the art of keyword research

Keyword research tools help you find search terms related to your product or service, along with data such as the number of times users search for it and how hard it is to compete for the top spots in the SERPs. Strike a balance between search volume and keyword difficulty when choosing keywords to target.

Start your research with a broad keyword related to your product or service and then sift through to find other relevant terms. You might use “backpack” as a starting point and then discover audiences are also searching for “work backpack” and “best backpack for hiking.” Decide which keywords are relevant to your business and use these to guide your content creation.

Remember that search volume usually drops as keywords get more specific, but this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Customers further along in their research usually use more precise keywords and are easier to convert.

Step 6: Finalize and Provide Feedback

Before finalizing your brief, invite your stakeholders to share their thoughts. Depending on your company’s organizational structure, you may want input from:

• Content strategists
• Editorial directors
• Marketing directors
• Product managers
• SEO specialists
• Subject matter experts
• Senior leadership
• Creative team (for design elements)

You can draw on your colleagues’ expertise to refine your outline and enhance the value of your piece. This step also helps manage expectations: If your stakeholders sign off at the beginning of the content production phase, there should be fewer revisions during editing and approvals.

Revise the document based on the feedback and then put the brief into the hands of your content creation team for implementation.

Embracing agile feedback loops in content strategy

Publishing your content and sending it into the world can feel like the conclusion of your content strategy, but it’s just one part of an ongoing process. To maximize your content’s impact, you need to gather feedback and data, adjusting your tactics over time to improve performance and respond to shifts in audience behaviors.

• Ask your content creation team for feedback on the brief. Was it helpful? What additional information do they need to do their jobs better in the future?
• Invite your stakeholders to share thoughts on the final product. Did it meet their expectations? How would they improve on it?
• Determine how audiences engaged with your content. Analyze key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics such as page views, time on page, bounce rate, social shares, and conversions.
• Adjust your strategy. Based on the insights, refine your content strategy. Experiment with messaging, format, and content distribution channels, or perform testing to see how audiences respond to variations of headlines and other elements. Then use your findings to inform your next set of content briefs.

From Blueprint to Breakthrough: Download Our Content Brief Template

An effective content strategy can help convert audiences, but each piece of content you publish needs to pull its weight. A content brief helps you keep each piece tightly focused, summarizing details about content goals, audience, keywords, messaging, tone, and style. Backed by solid research and analytics, this document is a valuable reference for everyone on a content team and will ensure your final product aligns with your target audience and business goals.

Are you ready to elevate your content strategy to engage audiences and drive results more effectively? Discover how this essential tool streamlines your workflow, ensures consistency, and improves outcomes. Download Crowd Content’s expertly designed content brief template and get started today.

The post How to Write a Content Brief: A Comprehensive Guide for Effective Content Planning appeared first on Crowd Content - Blog.

Of course, you have to pick the right grammar checker for your needs, whether you’re focused on readability, tone, or AI-assisted inspiration. To whittle down the top candidates, we tested popular platforms for accuracy and helpfulness. You’ll find the results below, along with tips on using these tools to craft content that is both smooth and compelling.  

Evolution of Grammar Tools

Grammar tools have come a long way since the 1980s, when they were built into word processors, such as WordPerfect and Microsoft Word. At the time, these rudimentary spell checkers were designed to detect simple errors that might have slipped through during manual proofreading. 

As technology advanced, so did the capabilities of the tools. Those squiggly lines were there to catch missteps, such as run-on sentences and confusion between “its” and “it’s.” Eventually, grammar tools took on lives of their own, leaving the confines of word-processing programs behind and launching as powerful standalone tools. 

From basic spell-check to AI-enhanced correctors

And now, the real game changer has arrived: artificial intelligence (AI). AI-enhanced correctors analyze vast amounts of text and learn from natural language patterns. They’re pushing grammar tools beyond simple mechanics, offering guidance for tone and voice, restructuring sentences to captivate readers, and generating ideas to help smash your writer’s block.

Best Grammar Tools

We took the best grammar checkers on a test drive, creating an error-riddled paragraph as a benchmark. We compared each tool’s accuracy in detecting mistakes and how well their AI features improved our writing sample.

Grammarly: Beyond basic grammar checking

One of the pioneer tools in grammar checking, Grammarly, has you covered for spelling, grammar, and clarity. A premium or business subscription unlocks advanced suggestions for nuanced word choice and tone to better engage your target audience. We also like the built-in AI writing tool. Simply highlight the text you’ve written and click “improve it.” 

Key features of Grammarly

• Checks the correctness of copy, including spelling and grammar
• Highlights wordiness and clarity issues
• Provides generative AI to help with content creation
• Offers word suggestions to make copy more impactful 
• Detects tone to help you better connect with your audience
• Checks for plagiarism 
• Allows customized style guides 

Accuracy and helpfulness

Grammarly performed well in detecting common errors. It was also one of the only tools that noticed both a numeral and a spelled-out number in the same sentence. Its word recommendations were consistently reliable.

The tool’s generative AI feature also did well with our test paragraph. It transformed awkward phrasing in a pet adoption scenario into a more concise and engaging narrative:

Our snippet: Bringing a cat home as a new pet can be an exciting and a rewarding experience. However, it’s important to be prepared for the responsibility that come’s with caring for a cat.

Grammarly’s version: Getting a new cat can be a thrilling and rewarding experience, but it’s important to be prepared for the responsibility that comes with it.

Grammarly integrations

• Email clients: Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail
• Apps: Google Docs, Word, Teams, Slack, PowerPoint
• Social platforms: LinkedIn, X
• Browsers: Chrome, Safari, Edge, Firefox
• Devices: iOS, Android, Mac

Grammarly pricing

• Free version: Limited to 100 AI prompts
• Premium: $12 USD monthly, billed annually
• Business: $15 USD monthly per member
• Trial offers: 7-day free trial for paid plans

Hemingway Editor: Clarity is key

Hemingway Editor assigns a grade-level score to your copy so you can make it accessible for your target audience. It recommends aiming for a 9th-grade reading level for general readability, although higher levels may be acceptable for academic or highly technical audiences.

A word of caution: Hemingway is a style checker. Since it doesn’t catch common grammar and spelling mistakes, be sure to proofread in another tool.

Key features of Hemingway

• Calculates a grade-level readability score for your copy
• Highlights unnecessary words, jargon, and hard-to-read sentences
• Uses color-coding to prioritize issues
• Includes formatting options, such as headers, bullets, italics, bold, and links
• Exports final copy to text, PDF, and Word
• Converts copy to HTML for publishing on the web
• Saves editing suggestions as a PDF so you can share them with colleagues
• Rewrites sentences instantly using AI (Hemingway Editor Plus only)

Accuracy and helpfulness

Hemingway is included in our list for its grade-level reading scores, which are useful for making complex copy more accessible. It’s not a grammar checker, however, so mistakes such as “they’re” versus “their” slip by. We also found Hemingway’s AI tool isn’t as powerful as other platforms. It simplified one of our long sentences into several short ones. This brings the grade level score down, but the result isn’t particularly engaging:

Our snippet: Provide plenty of hiding places, toys, and a cozy bed and don’t forget to cat-proof your home by removing hazardous object’s and securing your windows and door. 

Hemingway’s version: Provide plenty of hiding places, toys, and a cozy bed. Don’t forget to cat-proof your home. Remove hazardous objects and secure your windows and doors.

Hemingway integrations

• macOS
• Windows
• WordPress
• Medium

Hemingway pricing

• Online version is free
• Hemingway Editor (desktop): $19.99 USD one-time purchase
• Hemingway Editor Plus (AI): Starting at $10 USD monthly

ProWritingAid: For the detail-oriented editor

ProWritingAid is a solid grammar tool. It deftly handles grammar, style, and clarity, and it helps you achieve the right tone for your audience. We also like how the platform helps improve your writing skills by explaining the rationale behind recommended changes, complete with links to resource articles.

Key features of ProWritingAid

• Checks for spelling, grammar, and common style issues, such as passive voice
• Customizes suggestions based on document type: academic, business, casual, creative
• Provides in-depth analysis of elements such as transitions, overused words, and pacing
• Tracks readability, sentence length, and variety based on averages for the genre
• Paraphrases content according to your specifications (i.e., shorten, expand, or make the tone more formal)
• Provides advanced AI “sparks” to improve word choice, remove repetitions, edit transitions, and add analogies

Accuracy and helpfulness

We purposely overloaded our test paragraph with the word “cat” to see if any of the platforms would notice the monotony. ProWritingAid was one of the only tools to call us out on it, suggesting alternatives such as “feline,” “kitten,” and “kitty” for variety. The tool’s AI rewrites were also solid, turning a cluttered sentence into something more succinct. Here’s an example:

Our snippet: Provide plenty of hiding places, toys, and a cozy bed and don’t forget to cat-proof your home by removing hazardous object’s and securing your windows and door. 

ProWritingAid’s version: Make sure to provide hiding spots, toys, and a comfy bed for your cat. Also, cat-proof your home by removing dangerous items and securing windows and doors.

ProWritingAid integrations

• Microsoft Word for Windows
• Windows apps
• Mac apps
• Google Docs
• Safari
• Chrome
• Edge
• Firefox
• Scrivener
• OpenOffice

ProWritingAid pricing

• Free version is limited to 500 words, 10 rephrases, and three AI Sparks per day
• Premium: $10 USD monthly, billed yearly
• Premium Pro: $12 USD monthly, billed yearly
• Guarantee: No free trial but a 14-day money-back guarantee is available

QuillBot: Rewriting with intelligence

QuillBot reliably finds spelling, grammar, and punctuation mistakes while finessing content to boost reader engagement. With support for multiple languages, it is well-suited for those working in international audiences. These features are wrapped up in a clean, easy-to-use interface.

QuillBot features

• Checks copy for correctness 
• Recommends improved wording
• Customizes recommendations according to creative, academic, and custom audiences
• Supports German, French, and Spanish
• Translates text to more than 45 languages
• Offers AI-powered features for writing assistance
• Checks for plagiarism

Accuracy and helpfulness

QuillBot performed impressively in our test. It caught subtle issues other tools didn’t, such as the lack of parallelism in the phrase “windows and door.” Even more intriguing — when asked to rewrite the copy, it not only created compelling text but also added new information to flesh out the topic. Note the mention of cat nutrition in the rewrite below.

Our snippet: And then there’s the most important gift you can give your cat: affection. With patience and love, soon you will forge a strong bond with your pet, enriching both of your live’s for years to come.

QuillBot’s version: Remember to also provide a balanced diet and fresh water for your cat, as nutrition plays a key role in their overall health and well-being. Additionally, spend quality time playing and interacting with your cat to ensure they are mentally stimulated and happy.

QuillBot integrations

• Google Chrome
• Google Docs
• macOS
• Microsoft Edge
• Microsoft Office
• Microsoft Word

QuillBot pricing

• Free version available
• Premium: $8.33 to $19.95 USD per month, depending on billing cycle
• No free trial but offers a 100% money-back guarantee after 3 days

Scribens: The Free Grammar Wizard

Scribens is a straightforward grammar checker. Simply paste in your copy, click the highlighted areas, and accept or ignore the tool’s suggestions. You can check up to 8,000 characters of text at a time, which is generous for a free platform. Like Hemingway, Scribens provides readability scores for your text to help you adjust the comprehension level appropriate for your audience.

Scribens features

• Checks for spelling, grammar, and basic style issues
• Supports English and French text
• Includes Flesch Reading Ease and Gunning Fog Index to gauge text complexity
• Calculates statistics, such as average words per sentence and average syllables per word
• Estimates reading and speaking times for your content
• Includes a customizable dictionary that allows users to add unique or specialized terms

Accuracy and helpfulness

Scribens performs effectively for a free tool. It flags repetitive words to add variety to your writing and suggests alternatives for common words to make your content more impactful.

The grammar checker missed a couple of errors in our test, including sentence fragments and misuse of “they’re” versus “their.” While we prefer other tools for style feedback, Scribens is useful for tracking reading levels and statistics related to word and sentence length.

Scribens integrations

• Office programs: Microsoft Word, Google Docs, OpenOffice, and LibreOffice 
• Messaging: Gmail, Hotmail, Outlook, Yahoo, Orange
• Websites: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, WordPress, forms, blogs, and forums
• Mobile devices: Android smartphone and tablet, iPhone, iPad

Scribens pricing

• Free version is limited to 125 words in the paraphrasing tool
• Premium: 4.16 € to 9.90 € monthly, depending on billing cycle (approximately $4.50 to $10.75 USD)

Customization and Flexibility in Grammar Tools

While some grammar rules are set in stone, your writing style and word choice should be adjusted to fit your audience. For example, the phrase “core competency” is appropriate for a white paper targeted to HR executives, but the simpler “key skill” resonates more with job seekers. 

It can be challenging to achieve the right tone for different readers and maintain it consistently throughout a document. Thankfully, AI-enabled grammar tools can cut down on the time it takes to fine-tune your content. They’ve processed huge amounts of text to find patterns and variations and can quickly come up with words and phrasing that make sense for a particular scenario. This helps you connect with audiences more effectively, leading to better engagement and understanding of your content.

Tailoring tools to your writing style

We have to give kudos to ProWritingAid for its ability to tailor suggestions to specific audiences. The platform lets you select a writing style for various content types: general, academic, business, technical, creative, casual, web, and script. Each style has certain rules and targets that influence the recommendations you receive. For example, passive voice is more acceptable in academic writing, whereas web content benefits from shorter sentences. If the preset rules don’t meet your needs, simply customize your own to achieve the results you need.

Integrating Grammar Tools Into Your Writing Process

As grammar tools become more powerful, they significantly change our approach to writing. In the past, we’d run a spell check at the end of the writing process to find mistakes. Now, AI grammar tools provide valuable writing support from the time you open a new document to the moment you hit publish. They can kick-start your writing, fix mistakes, remove jargon, and help you achieve the right voice.

With these benefits in mind, many companies are rethinking how to use grammar checkers to enhance the content production process. By incorporating AI grammar tools into our workflow, we can produce higher-quality content in less time. This shift in approach has led to increased efficiency and improved overall writing outcomes for many organizations.

Streamlining your workflow with grammar tools

Here’s how you can incorporate grammar tools into your writing process. 

• Install your grammar checker. Many tools can be integrated right into your desktop environment to provide real-time feedback. This saves you from copying and pasting between your word-processing program and the grammar platform.
• Set up your style guides. Customize style guides to align with your writing preferences. You can set up rules for brand and product names, language, and terminology to get things right the first time and simplify the editing process.
• Leverage AI writing suggestions. Stuck on a headline or phrasing? Trying to wrangle an awkward sentence? Make use of AI to get past your writer’s block and accelerate your output.
• Review suggestions. Make judgment calls about whether the recommendations improve your copy. Grammar checkers aren’t always correct, but when they are, try to learn from your mistakes and boost your writing proficiency.
• Revise copy. Fix spelling, typos, grammar, and style inconsistencies. Adjust for tone and voice. Invite feedback from colleagues and editors to ensure your content is accurate and clear.  
• Finalize content. Make adjustments to your copy to ensure it’s polished, error-free, and provides value to readers.

Collaboration and sharing: Grammar tools in team projects

Content production is typically collaborative with writers, editors, and subject matter experts contributing before sign-off. Programs such as Google Docs enable shared access, but with so many people involved, it’s easy for inconsistencies to slip in. Use grammar tools throughout the writing process to ensure your content is uniform and cohesive.

For instance, Zapier implemented Grammarly to create a company-wide style guide. This ensured branded terms and names of partner apps were used correctly throughout their communications. Previously, writers and editors spent a significant amount of time tracking down the right language and fixing errors. By utilizing a grammar tool, Zapier ensured proper language usage at the writing stage, streamlining editing and maintaining a cohesive style. This ultimately saved time and improved content quality.

Grammar Tools and the Future of Writing

As artificial intelligence evolves, the best grammar tools are becoming inseparable from the writing process. We’re already seeing these platforms folded into our daily work environments, sparking and condensing ideas and enhancing readability. With ongoing developments in machine learning, AI-enabled tools will likely get better at analyzing language nuances, personalizing content, and refining suggestions for specific audiences.

What does that mean for those of us crafting content? Well, “old-school writing” isn’t going away, according to author Rishad Tobaccowala.  He predicts, “AI will replace many writers — the hack writers. It will not replace writers … who focus on communing and connecting with human minds and emotions.” 

Tobaccowala emphasizes that AI helps writers produce better content. “The best writers today use AI as an input to power, expand, and challenge themselves in ways that improve their writing and expand their thinking. AI expands the palette and opens new horizons,” he said.

This aligns with how we approach AI at Crowd Content. Modern grammar checkers and AI content creation tools are just that — tools — not replacements for your own creativity and expertise. As discussed in a recent episode of the Crowd Content podcast (20:52), purely AI content is based on what’s already been published. It doesn’t inspire engagement and conversions. To have an impact on your audience, make sure what you’re publishing is helpful to readers, weave in interesting opinions and insights, and satisfy your audience’s needs.

Real-World Success Stories: Grammar Tools in Action

We’ve compiled some examples to show you how marketers, writers, and professionals are leveraging the capabilities of these powerful platforms. Check out the stories below to explore the potential of AI grammar tools in enriching content production. 

Case studies: Transforming writing with grammar tools

Zoom experienced an unprecedented demand on its services a few years ago when businesses turned to work-from-home models. Its teams struggled to keep up with communications on a global basis. The company turned to Grammarly’s business platform to ensure consistent use of terminology, brand voice, and messaging. Zoom estimates this saved 7,000 hours of staff time, speeding up staff onboarding and removing bottlenecks in reviewing content. Grammarly’s real-time writing assistance also boosted the confidence of individual team members in their communication skills.

Grammarly also provides a striking example of how its business tool helps writers achieve the right tone. HackerOne, a platform that enables hackers to work alongside brands to identify security vulnerabilities, has two distinct audiences. By using custom style guides and a tone detector, HackerOne was able to better communicate in a professional tone with enterprise clients and, more informally, with the hacker community. As a result, communications improved by 68% across pillars such as clarity, engagement, and correctness.

From skeptic to advocate: A user experience example

Anja Wedberg, Senior Content Editor at NOA Ignite, felt confident in her writing skills until plugging an article into Hemingway Editor. “I had overall positive feedback about this article,” she explained on the company’s blog. When Hemingway almost completely marked up the piece, she took a closer look and reworked it for readability. She brought it from a grade 12 reading level to grade 8.

She shared on the company’s blog, “What the average writer thinks is easy to read is not the same as what the average reader finds easy to read. At the end of the day, the main question is: Do we want to make sure that our texts can be understood by most people? If the answer to that is yes, we had better listen to Hemingway.”

Master Your Content With the Right Tools and Expertise

Modern-day grammar checkers work alongside you as you write, eliminating mistakes and capturing the right tone for your audience. They also lean on artificial intelligence to energize the writing process and help you better express your thoughts. The results? Smooth, polished prose and less time tussling with content.

While AI tools can improve your copy, it still needs substance to engage readers and drive conversions. Remember to infuse your writing with real-life opinions and expertise. By combining the efficiency of AI tools with your unique perspective, you can create more meaningful content that resonates with your audience. Discover how the right grammar tools, combined with Crowd Content’s professional content creation services, can elevate your writing.

The post 5 Best Grammar Tools for Content Writing appeared first on Crowd Content - Blog.

A content strategy is a detailed plan laying out how your business plans to engage customers using digital assets, such as online articles, videos, case studies, or podcasts. Think of it like a professional map pinpointing destinations from the top to the bottom of the funnel — a guide that delivers value, creates brand awareness, and carries your customer through every stage of the buyer’s journey. 

Core Elements of a Content Marketing Strategy

Just like you can’t make grilled cheese without bread, a content marketing strategy has nonnegotiable ingredients that pull everything together. You need to know who you’re targeting, the channels you’re using to reach them, and the goals you need to hit.

Identifying and understanding the target audience

Good content marketing revolves around your customers. You must know your audience and empathize with their needs to create content that resonates. After all, you can create a fascinating article or slick video. But if your customers shrug their collective shoulders and scroll past it, your message tumbles into the internet equivalent of a black hole.

That’s why your strategy must be customer-centric. Conduct in-depth research and analysis to learn about your browsers’ demographics, interests, behaviors, preferences, and frustrations. Use this information to determine the type of content to produce, topics to cover, and tone to adopt. 

Choosing content distribution channels

The next part of your strategy focuses on distributing content so audiences discover your brand. Choose channels that align with their preferences and behaviors, which you ideally established during your audience research. Consider the channels’ reach, engagement potential, and cost-effectiveness when finalizing your choices.

To maximize reach, we recommend a mix of channels for diversity.

• Owned channels, such as your website, blog, app, and email newsletter, are fully under your control.
• Paid channels can give you a significant lift in exposure, but they have a price tag. PPC ads, influencer partnerships, and sponsored content fall into this category.
• Earned channels include media mentions, user-generated content, and guest blogs. They require a third-party endorsement of your brand, which makes them feel more authentic to customers.

How to Create a Content Marketing Strategy: Step-by-Step

As you can tell, it takes time to develop a content marketing strategy that grows your business. It might seem daunting, but if you break the process into steps, your strategy slowly and surely comes together.

Define your audience

Start by defining your target audience. Buyer personas are useful for seeing your customers as people rather than a demographic. 

• Talk to your product team. Your colleagues likely performed audience research when designing and branding the product.
• Review website analytics. Google Analytics, for example, offers insights into audience demographics, location, interests, and their favored devices.
• Conduct surveys and focus groups. Ask questions about preferences, challenges, and where customers get information from.
• Monitor social media conversations. Listen to what audiences say about your industry, brand, and competitors.

Research keywords

SEO goes hand in hand with a content strategy. Perform keyword research using tools such as Semrush to ensure your content appears in the SERPs when your audience searches for your product or service. Lean on different keyword research tools to generate and analyze search terms so you can prioritize the ones with the most potential for your business. 

We recommend using keywords to guide your content — they’re not meant to be stuffed onto each page. Organize keywords into themes, and don’t forget long-tail keywords that reach customers with specific search intent. 

Set goals and choose KPIs

Remember that a content marketing plan needs a clear purpose to drive results. Your content goals might be to boost brand awareness, traffic, engagement, leads, conversions, or sales. Pair your goals with quantifiable metrics. These benchmarks are reference points for your progress, telling you which parts of your strategy might need a little TLC.  Over time, some metrics may spike, plateau, or drop. Use this data to keep your strategy on track and refine your tactics. Track key performance indicators regularly, especially after specific campaign rollouts. 

Determine content types and channels

Most content strategies rely heavily on blog posts because they easily adapt to your messaging. But you can (and should) draw on various content types to make your strategy more dynamic. Always keep your audience in mind, and match content to the buyer’s journey.

• E-books and white papers let you dive deep into a topic and provide thought leadership.
• Case studies draw on real-life examples to demonstrate a solution to a problem.
• How-to guides and instructional resources help readers accomplish a task.
• FAQs provide quick answers to common customer concerns.
• Webinars and podcasts are interactive workshops, presentations, and discussions that share expertise. 

Here’s a content strategy example. If you want to use content to generate leads, and your customer is a B2B decision-maker, consider a gated white paper on your website. If they frequent LinkedIn, create a video as a teaser to capture their interest, and link to your landing page in the post.

Conduct a content audit

You don’t need to start your content production from scratch. See what assets you already have by auditing your content and creating an inventory of previously published assets. List each item in a spreadsheet and track title, URL, content type, category or theme, buyer stage, and target keywords. Then, you can determine what content you need to complete your strategy.

Pro tip: At the same time, evaluate each page to ensure it contains high-quality content that meets Google’s excellence standards. Add any necessary content refreshes into your strategy.

Build a content calendar

A content calendar helps you visualize how the pieces of your plan should roll out. Plan it at least 6 months in advance, scheduling each piece with a publication date and working backward to determine writing, editing, and design deadlines. You can also use the calendar to assign your team specific roles, especially if you have a pool of writers. Editorial calendars are essential for staying organized and keeping things going after ideation. 

Executing Your Content Marketing Strategy

While a documented content marketing plan can lead you to your goals, you unlock its potential once it’s implemented and brought to life. Create an organized content production process to ensure what you publish strikes a chord with your audience. Then, promote your content diligently so they can discover it.

Content creation best practices

Audiences quickly decide if a piece of content is relevant or interesting. Use our content creation tips to produce stellar blog posts, articles, landing pages, and web content.

• Understand search intent. Users have a specific query in mind when they plug keywords into a search engine. If you’re targeting the search term “hatha yoga,” for example, determine if someone wants to know the history of hatha yoga, how to do it, or where to take classes. SEO tools can help with this, or you can look into the types of content currently ranking for the search term.
• Create content briefs. Use our content brief template, and give your writers guidelines for crafting each piece. A brief covers keywords, search intent, target audience, People Also Ask questions, tone, style, word count, and deadlines. 
• Make your content exceptional. Follow the basics of good content creation, such as writing concisely and proofreading before publishing. Every piece should provide value, such as original research and real-life examples.
• Incorporate multimedia. Perk up written text with graphics, slide shows, or video to help tell your story in a visually appealing way. 
• Optimize for SEO. It can seem like Google’s algorithms are random and mysterious, but there’s a method to the madness. Improve your chances of ranking by helping search engines understand the content. Add meta titles and descriptions, organize content with headers, use descriptive anchor text and URLs, and optimize for featured snippets. Videos should include transcripts for those who prefer to read, and images should have alt-text for accessibility.
• Include CTAs. Help readers navigate your website and get to the next stage of their journey with strong, clear calls to action. You can incorporate these as links within your copy or as more prominent buttons.
• Stay true to your brand. To build loyalty, each piece of content should reflect the essence of your brand so audiences know what to expect. Marketing specialist Ann Handley describes this as “artisanal content.” In a recent Crowd Content webinar about the future of content marketing, Handley explained, “[It’s] content that can only come from you … that’s really infused with your voice, with your point of view, or with your face, in some situations. It can’t come from anyone else; it won’t sound the same. [It] feels almost handcrafted for us specifically.” 

Effective distribution channels

Search engines, newsletters, social media, and paid ads all help distribute your content to a broad audience. To get the most impact, ensure the format suits the channel. Buffer, for example, promotes articles on LinkedIn as carousels. As users have to swipe through the content, it’s more engaging than simply posting a text summary. 

At Crowd Content, we use multiple channels to distribute content more widely. Our blog post about whether AI content can rank in Google doubled as a jumping-off point for a podcast discussion.  

“There’s no one size fits all recipe when it comes to determining what channels you should use for your business as far as what’s going to work well for you — not just the mix, but the weighting,” our VP of Content Operations, Rick Leach, recently explained. “I encourage you to try, measure, adjust … then increase or decrease the percentage of resources that go toward that channel as the data tells you.” 

Measuring the Success of Your Content Marketing Strategy

Once you have your strategy in motion, monitor your progress across your distribution channels. Platforms such as Google Analytics, Hootsuite, HubSpot, Semrush, and Ahrefs capture website analytics and integrate with social networking and email platforms to consolidate data into a single dashboard. 

Key performance indicators in content marketing

Choose KPIs related to your content marketing goals so you can make data-informed decisions and fine-tune your tactics. 

Analytics for strategy optimization 

You might feel like you’re swimming in numbers once the data starts rolling in. Tackle your analytics in the same way you put together your content strategy: methodically.

Search for patterns, trends, and possible issues with your content performance. For example, begin investigating if your engagement metrics show audiences aren’t interacting. Look at individual pieces of content that are drop-off points in the funnel, or segment audiences by demographics, device, or behavior to see if a particular group isn’t engaging.

Based on the findings, you might improve navigation, design, or CTAs. You could also experiment with formats, topics, and storytelling techniques that better resonate with audience preferences. Using your data and analysis, make incremental adjustments to your content to optimize it, and continue monitoring and adjusting.

Future Trends in Content Marketing Strategy

When you think you’ve got your content marketing strategies nailed down, things shift. It’s one of the realities of our chaotic, digital world. You can expect audience preferences to change, new competitors and technologies to pop up, and algorithm updates to steer content in new directions. Adopt a proactive approach so you can prepare for these inevitable shifts.

Emerging technologies in content marketing

Businesses are already exploring how artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies can support content marketing. Be open to experimentation and innovation that can refine your strategies and set you apart from competitors. For example:

• Content intelligence platforms identify topics for different stages of the buyer’s journey and predict the best distribution channels.
• AI writing tools can help with research and outlining. (But make sure your final content has a human touch.)
• AI-powered web analytics tools quickly process data to detect trends and patterns and anticipate future behavior.
• Augmented and virtual reality offer new formats for storytelling.

Changing consumer behaviors

No matter what technology you leverage, don’t lose sight of your audience. Keep a pulse on your customers. Continue to talk to them through focus groups and surveys to understand their priorities. Employ social media monitoring to listen in on real-time concerns. When you understand what’s driving audience behaviors, you can provide better content solutions to meet their needs.

Crafting a Successful Content Marketing Strategy for Your Business

Once you build a solid framework for your content marketing, it’s easier to create pieces that appeal to your audience and inspire them toward desired goals. Spend some time laying the groundwork by getting to know your customers, establishing objectives, and choosing relevant distribution channels. Stay on track by monitoring KPIs and audience behaviors, and refine tactics with your sights set firmly on your goals. 

Maximize your content potential

Ready to revolutionize your brand’s digital presence? Discover how Crowd Content’s content strategy services can elevate your business. Our team of experts is dedicated to crafting bespoke strategies that resonate with your audience and drive results.

The post Unlock the Power of Digital Storytelling With a Content Marketing Strategy appeared first on Crowd Content - Blog.

To stand out, you need exceptional content for all stages of the buyer’s journey: articles that answer burning questions, convincing case studies, and irresistible product descriptions that compel conversions. A successful digital content strategy helps business owners understand customer needs, engage their curiosity, and leverage technology to make an impact in a highly competitive landscape.

The Role of Content in E-Commerce Success

Content is a powerful tool for enticing customers to your e-commerce store and encouraging them to take action. The most effective content strategies reel in your customer no matter where they are on their path to purchase:

• Awareness: At this stage, customers aren’t entirely sure they need your product. Your content positions you as a source of knowledge and addresses pain points. Introduce your brand with how-to guides, articles, problem-solving content, quizzes, and engaging social media posts.
• Consideration: Now, your customer is actively thinking about solving a problem, and your content explores possible solutions. A kitchenware store might publish blog posts about choosing between pressure cookers and slow cookers or the purposes of different kitchen knives.
• Decision: Your customer has decided on a solution, so it’s time to set your brand apart. Convince them with comparison guides, product pages, product demos, FAQs, testimonials, and landing pages offering free trials. You could also use augmented reality to help customers visualize a product’s appearance in their space.
• Retention: Once you make a sale, provide resources to continue engaging your customers. User guides, product tips, newsletters, and exclusive or personalized content encourage satisfaction and build loyalty.

SEO and Content Marketing in E-Commerce

Fuse your content marketing efforts with a solid SEO strategy to ensure your audience finds you. According to data from 2023, 39% of consumers start their e-commerce journeys on search engines such as Google or Bing. In fact, search engines are the first stop for online shoppers in the United States behind Amazon.

Search engine optimization (SEO) helps lift your content higher on search engine results pages (SERPs), which are the lists of webpages returned by a search engine in response to a user’s query. The higher your result, the more exposure you have and the more enticing your website is to potential customers. Once readers click through to your store, your content can work its magic. You can nurture prospects through every stage if you’ve matched content to the buyer’s journey. 

How to integrate SEO and content marketing

Google offers many opportunities for your website to appear in search results. Your SEO content strategy can target:

• Organic search results: These listings appear below paid ads and include rich snippets that display images, videos, and star ratings.
• Featured snippets: Google sometimes displays an excerpt from a web page that concisely answers the search query. These results often get more of the clicks because they’re prominently displayed on the SERP. 
• Google Images: In addition to crawling text, Google can index optimized images. For example, this enables someone to search for “heart-shaped earrings” and see relevant products in search results.
• Local searches: When you use local SEO strategies, your content displays for searches in a specific geographic region.
• Voice search: Speech recognition technology enables users to search by voice. Use long-tail keywords and a natural, conversational style to surface in these search results. Content that aligns with the way searchers ask questions, that is Who, What, Why, When, How, are more likely to win at voice search.
• Search generative experience: SGE uses artificial intelligence to present a snapshot of a topic. Optimize content for these search results with concise and unique answers to fill in content gaps.

Incorporating SEO tactics in your content strategy improves your chances of appearing in these search results:

• Perform keyword research to plan appropriate content.
• Provide superior user experiences with intuitive navigation and fast page loading times.
• Give search engines the confidence to recommend your content by demonstrating E-E-A-T principles.

Emphasize content quality

Before we get too immersed in SEO-speak, let’s shift the focus back to the content you’re publishing to win over customers. E-commerce content is all about communicating with humans whose problems need solving. SEO tactics and data-driven approaches are essential for search visibility, but your content must resonate with audiences to convert.

Make it a priority to create content that offers value to readers. Share your expertise generously, and offer substance and depth. Mix in original research and thought. It takes time and effort to produce high-quality, helpful content, but the end product intrigues your readers and improves your chances of converting.

Some marketers use artificial intelligence for content creation. While AI can help with research and ideation, it doesn’t have the same creative chops as a human. By all means, use AI to get started, but make sure the end result appeals to your customer’s curiosity, intelligence, humor, and emotions — something that usually requires deft human touch.

Developing Your E-Commerce Content Strategy

Finding and using relevant keywords effectively

Effective SEO content begins with keyword research, which is the process of finding the search terms your customers use and choosing ones to build your content around. Use keyword research tools to generate ideas and gather data to help you decide which search terms to pursue. Semrush, Ahrefs, Moz, KWFinder, and AnswerThePublic are tools that identify high-performing search terms.

Promising keywords have enough search volume to send the right traffic flowing to your site. Target ones that are lower in competition so you can more realistically rank for them. Keyword competition is often rated on a scale from 0 to 100, and a lower score means less competition. You can pursue more difficult keywords, but it takes time to build up the backlinks and authority needed to knock competitors out of the top spot. 

Add in some long-tail keywords with a lower search volume. Because they’re precise, they typically send highly qualified traffic your way that’s more likely to convert. For example, “women’s dress shoes” is broad. 

But “women’s ballet flats” can help you reach someone who knows what they want to buy and is further along in the buyer’s journey.

Leveraging topic cluster strategy

Organize your e-commerce content into clusters, each focused on a specific topic. A topic cluster strategy gives your website structure and establishes your expertise.

• Sort your keywords into categories or themes.
• Create a pillar or overview page that anchors the cluster.
• Bolster the pillar page with detailed articles around subtopics.
• Interlink between the pieces in the topic cluster, guiding search engines and users to related content.

Audit your existing content, and place it in the appropriate cluster. You can then see what additional pieces you need to build out your topic.

SEO Strategies Tailored for E-Commerce

SEO best practices apply regardless of your business niche, but e-commerce sites need to pay particular attention to a few areas.

Product pages

Product descriptions generate excitement for an item and provide enough detail for customers to make a purchasing decision. Even if manufacturers provide product information, we recommend crafting unique copy rather than duplicating what other sites publish.

Incorporate keywords in the following places:

• Product name
• Page title and meta description
• Near the beginning of the product description
• URL
• Image file name

Take a look at this product description for wet cat food from Purina. It includes the keyword “wet cat food” in the product title and URL. The description also mentions “wet formula” in the first sentence. These tactics help search engines match the product to appropriate queries.

Category pages

Category pages serve as a home page for related products. Not all websites need a category page, but if you have enough products, it can help users navigate them. For example, Williams Sonoma has a category page for knives, distinguishing between paring knives, steak knives, carving knives, and cleavers. The page includes a few paragraphs of content that offer opportunities to rank for related keywords.

Long-tail keywords

Long-tail keywords are at least three words long and are used to find a specific answer to a query. These phrases often have lower search volumes but can be lucrative if they have commercial search intent since the consumer may be close to the decision stage. 

You can find long-tail keywords in keyword search tools or head to Amazon and try the autocomplete feature to see what people are searching for. If you enter “backpack with” into the search box, the autocomplete suggests “laptop compartment” and “wheels for adults.”

Incorporate long-tail keywords into product descriptions or blog posts to attract these customers and guide site visitors to a conversion.

Mobile-friendliness

Consumers aren’t just shopping on desktop computers. They’re also making purchases on mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets. In the United States, mobile commerce accounted for 43.2% of retail e-commerce sales in 2023. By 2027, m-commerce is expected to make up nearly 50% of U.S. e-commerce sales.

While sites optimized for mobile aren’t guaranteed to rank better in Google, mobile-friendliness is one of the search engine’s positive signals when it comes to page experience. To encourage conversions, optimize your e-commerce store for screens of all sizes to ensure customers have seamless experiences as they shop. Other ways to improve your mobile responsiveness include using image compression tools for faster loading times, and simplifying the navigation to improve usability.

Importance of Knowing Your Target Audience and Tips on Audience Research

Before creating content that engages your audience, you need to get up close and personal, understanding who they are, what motivates them, and how they behave online. Define each target customer with basic information such as age, marital status, income, job title, and geographic location.

You can create personas to make them seem like real people instead of a collection of statistics. This helps you create content in the right tone and format to engage these customers authentically.

Research your customer by:

• Talking to your product development and marketing departments
• Analyzing website traffic to see where visitors come from
• Surveying customers and offering discounts to encourage participation
• Listening in on social media, online forums, and message boards
• Asking sales and customer service teams what they’re hearing on the ground
• Analyzing competing brands to see where they engage customers

Content Personalization in E-Commerce

Consumers have plenty of options for where to spend their online dollars. Content personalization, which caters to audience preferences based on past interactions, can sway them to your brand. Customized content increases your brand’s relevance, improves user experience, and boosts your conversion rates.

AI and machine learning make personalization easier by analyzing customer data and helping you display information based on behaviors. Here are some ways to personalize content and encourage more engagement and sales:

• Product recommendations that pop up while customers browse: These are typically “You May Also Like” or “Other Customers Viewed” suggestions.
• Personalized email campaigns: Offer discounts on birthdays or let someone who hasn’t shopped for a while know that you miss them. You can also segment your email lists based on behavior, like recent purchases, or industry, like B2B, so you can personalize your outreach.
• Dynamic website content: Content changes depending on location or user behavior. If you notice someone keeps viewing the same product, you might have a pop-up offering a discount to nudge them toward a sale.
• A/B testing: Gather data on how different landing pages or ads work to assess the most effective copy to convert sales.

Utilizing Emerging Technologies

At its most basic, digital marketing in e-commerce consists of static pages of product images and descriptions. But with technologies such as artificial intelligence, augmented reality, and virtual reality, you can help your website come to life. You can’t replicate in-store service, but you can engage your customers online and offer a unique digital experience.While customer preferences are always changing, websites can meet those demands by creating personalized shopping experiences.

Conversational commerce

AI chatbots can be programmed to answer questions in real time, such as how long shipping takes and what your return policy is. This removes friction by preventing cart abandonment and helps keep customers on a website. Italian designer Ad Hoc Atelier uses a chatbot that triggers when a visitor leaves their cart. The company reduced its cart abandonment rate and increased its conversion rate by engaging customers.

Video commerce

Clothing brand Free People makes products shoppable on livestreams. The hosts provide product demos and model clothing, and shoppers can ask questions and make purchases. According to a case study, Free People gets an average of 2,000 viewers per video with a conversion rate that’s three times higher than average.

Virtual try-ons

Augmented reality, popularized by Snapchat filters, can be creatively applied to e-commerce stores. Zenni Optical has a try-on feature that superimposes eyeglass frames on your face to help you pick a style you like.

In Germany, H&M took this a step further. Customers were invited to make an avatar with a body scanner so they could try on items virtually at home.

Leveraging Social Media for E-Commerce Engagement

Social media is an important content distribution channel for e-commerce brands. According to data compiled from a 2023 survey, 50% of shoppers worldwide learned about products on social media.

While social media can send users to your online shop, nearly 60% of shoppers buy products directly through networking platforms — a practice known as social commerce. Salesforce estimates that in 2024, 64.6 million users will shop on Facebook, 46.8 million on Instagram, and 40.7 million on TikTok.

Your brand can make the most of social media by:

• Building a community of followers: You can market directly to your audience through social posts. Take a look at H&M’s creative TikTok video. It grabs attention with an “invisible” model and provides product ideas in a viewer’s feed.
• Encouraging engagement: Your post can appear in other people’s social feeds through shares, likes, and comments.
• Placing social ads: Paid advertising gets your content in front of a wider audience.
• Partnering with creators: Consider collaborating with influencers or businesses with a similar target audience to help promote your brand.

Innovative Monetization in E-Commerce

We’ve focused primarily on traditional product sales, but modern e-commerce offers additional opportunities to generate revenue for brands and content creators.

Affiliate marketing

Affiliates are third parties who promote a brand and receive payment in exchange for clicks or sales. This is a win-win situation: Brands tap into a fresh audience and boost sales. Affiliates can generate revenue by reviewing a product, hosting a contest, or offering a promo code to their followers.

Subscriptions

If you sell items customers need to replace regularly, a monthly or quarterly subscription encourages customer retention. Consumers commit to a recurring purchase in exchange for a discount, free shipping, or other incentive. Similarly, content creators can build subscription models that offer exclusive or enhanced content offerings.

Blockchain technology

While blockchain technology is commonly linked to Bitcoin, it has other applications. A blockchain is a transparent ledger where transactions are shared within a network, verifying ownership and the movement of goods.

The technology is in its early stages regarding retail applications, but we’re beginning to see its potential. In 2021, H&M launched an innovative clothing rental service in Berlin that used blockchain to track who had borrowed items.

Similarly, in the automotive sector, BMW Group used blockchain technology to make its supply chain more transparent and traceable. This means they can track where materials and parts come from, all the way to the finished car, and this ensures that everything meets ethical standards. 

Measuring Success: Analytics and KPIs

You’ve put your online retail content strategy into action, and now it’s time to see if it’s driving awareness, traffic, and sales. Track key performance indicators to learn where to fine-tune your strategies for more impact and which tactics successfully yield results.

Common KPIs to track include:

• Keyword ranking: Where are you landing in the SERPs for your target keywords? Keywords that aren’t getting traction may need better optimization.
• Referral sources: Where are your visitors coming from? This metric tells you how users find your site and which content distribution channels work best.
• Click-through rate: If you’re not getting clicks from the SERPs, adjust your meta title and description or optimize for rich snippets.
• Page traffic: Which content pages perform the best, and which need more optimization?
• Impressions: How many people are viewing your product pages?
• Time spent on page: Are users spending time engaging with your content? If they abandon the page quickly, your content may need adjusting.
• Add-to-cart rate: Combine this KPI with impressions to gauge whether the content on your product pages is convincing people to purchase.
• Conversions: Assess how well your site drives desired actions, such as subscribing to mailing lists, adding products to wish lists, and making sales.

Knowing which KPIs to track is the first step. The next step is to understand how to accurately measure them, and this is where analytics tools come into play.

Analytics tools

You may need a few analytics tools to obtain a complete picture of your content’s performance. Google Analytics is ideal for monitoring page-level activity and user behavior on your site, while Semrush or Moz can provide in-depth insights into your keyword rankings and search performance. Platforms such as Instagram, X, and LinkedIn provide data on user engagement, but it’s easier to use a tool such as Buffer to compile data and generate all-in-one reports on channel performance.

Adapting to Consumer Behavior and Trends

McKinsey & Company notes that customer expectations change with each new successful digital venture. Online shoppers embrace speed and convenience, thanks to the bar set by Amazon, while short video snippets have been popularized by TikTok.

Brands need to be open and responsive to changing customer preferences to stay relevant. You should keep a pulse on digital marketing trends and developments in your industry, but you can also look to your customers for signals.

Regularly check in with your customers through reviews, feedback, and surveys, or practice social listening. These tactics dig up real-time insight into how your customers are feeling.

Artificial intelligence is a powerful partner when it comes to anticipating customer behaviors and preferences. Predictive analytics uses various inputs — including customer demographics, website analytics, and interactions at different touchpoints — to find patterns in behavior. AI then predicts what a customer might purchase or do next. As data is updated, the AI is better trained. These insights help you create content and marketing messages that precisely meet customer needs, improving their experience and guiding them toward conversions.

AI helps us predict and fulfill customer needs, but it also highlights our responsibility to use technology ethically. We need to make sure our approaches are aligned with what customers expect in terms of ethical and sustainable practices.

Ethical Considerations and Sustainable Practices

Let’s step back for a moment and look beyond financial transactions. Your overall business practices influence how audiences view your brand and impact your bottom line. Consumers expect companies to conduct themselves with integrity and a sense of responsibility. According to a 2023 survey, 45% of respondents considered themselves ethical or sustainable consumers.

Ethical conduct

When it comes to your e-commerce content, set high standards. Create fair, well-researched, and accurate content, and disclose any conflicts of interest in what you’re writing about. You can expect diverse audiences to visit your website and social accounts, so be inclusive and sensitive with your language. Finally, as brands ramp up data collection, be clear in your privacy policies about how and why you’re gathering information.

Sustainable practices

Consumers, especially younger generations, are increasingly concerned about social issues and how brands impact the environment. Among Gen Z, 62% prefer to buy from sustainable brands, and 73% are willing to pay higher prices for sustainable products.

Engage ethical consumers with content about your sustainability initiatives and practices. This includes information about materials, production processes, and packaging. If you have eco-friendly programs in place, such as REI’s online store for used gear, create content to promote and highlight the benefits of these practices.

Additional Resources and Tools

Successful content marketing for e-commerce involves many components, but an array of tools are available to make the process easier. Whether you’re tackling the work in-house or outsourcing to a content strategy service, check out some of the following resources to help get your campaign off the ground.

• Semrush: Perform keyword research, discover content ideas, and improve your site’s on-page SEO.
• Keyword Insights: Generate keyword ideas, and create topic clusters with a click.
• CoSchedule: Organize your content strategy and manage deadlines.
• Alchemer: Collect feedback across channels to understand customer needs.
• Make My Persona: Build buyer personas to inform your content strategy.
• Feedly: Monitor developments and trends in your industry.
• Google Search Console: Monitor site traffic and the keywords visitors use and find issues that may impact your site’s SEO.

Drive Results With a Dynamic Content Strategy (and a Helping Hand)

Customers find their way to your website through content: insightful tips and articles, convincing product pages, clearly presented case studies, and your brand story. But to really pull in your audiences, your content must offer unique value and insight.

Your e-commerce content strategy begins with keyword research and a deep understanding of your audience and the buyer’s journey. You can then develop highly targeted content that encourages engagement.

Consider our e-commerce writing services to produce professional, results-driven content that’s optimized for search engines and your readers. Find out how our experienced team of writers, editors, subject matter experts, and content managers can fuel your online visibility and help your business hit its growth goals.

The post E-Commerce Content Strategy in 2024: A Comprehensive Guide appeared first on Crowd Content - Blog.

As audience and Google standards increase, so does the need for relevant, quality, high-volume content production. Outsourcing your content can help you meet your targets, exponentially expanding your revenue and your foothold in the industry.

Understanding White Label Content Writing

White label content is created by a third party but sold by the primary entity — your agency, for example — as a firsthand product. For example, you tell your end clients you can produce 1,000 product descriptions a week, but really, you’re outsourcing those batches to another agency perhaps, and then passing them on as your own product.

The concept of white labeling isn’t limited to the content world, and it might be easier to understand how it all works if we look at a noncontent example. A handful of manufacturers produce much of the essential oil products currently on the market. All those bottles of patchouli, peppermint, and “immune-boosting blend” come off the same assembly lines and boast the same contents, but they get different labels and marketing campaigns based on which brand is buying the primary product from wholesalers.

It’s a brilliant way for small businesses to expand their catalog with products they can’t produce on their own, and bigger brands can test new niches without switching up their assembly lines or investing in ground-up R&D.

White labeled content works the same way; you’re just swapping out tinctures of sage and chamomile for bespoke articles and blog posts.

Benefits of white label content for agencies

You’re known for having fingers in every pie in your agency’s service buffet, but you can’t be everywhere at once. If you’re looking to build a better, smarter business, investing in white label content can help you:

• Save time: Partnering with a content creation team plugs you into a talent pool that’s pre-vetted, talented, and ready to write. Skip time-consuming recruitment, onboarding, and writer testing and head straight to steady, reliable output.
• Maintain quality: Those pre-vetted writers you tap into with a white label content partner have already showcased their skill sets. You get the quality content you need without training anyone yourself. And if you already have an in-house team, white labeling allows you to scale up without stretching your resources and sacrificing quality.
• Offer more of your product: White label content helps you increase your service offerings to include not only strategy but also execution of that strategy. Already have your own writers? You can white label niche content by taking advantage of contracted subject matter experts who specialize in fields such as fintech, health care, travel, real estate, and law — many of whom have the lettered credentials beside their name to go with a proven track record.  

Common Uses of White Label Content

Some of the most common use cases for outsourced writing include:

Digital marketing agencies

Digital marketing agencies are first in line to help clients understand the value of email campaigns, social media posts and thought leadership bylined by the client’s highest-profile personas. But what happens when you recommend a strategy but can’t help execute it?

Agencies can use white label content services to offer packages encompassing everything from a basic consultation to a turnkey strategy, all but guaranteed to generate long-term success. No more sending clients to spend their money elsewhere when you can serve up quality content on a silver platter.

Ecommerce platforms

Ecommerce platforms that serve makers, retailers, and resellers have a prime opportunity to upsell members by offering add-on services, such as copywriting. While a basic package might include web hosting, payment services, and on-site promotional opportunities, platforms can generate multiple revenue streams by white labeling product descriptions, how-to blogs, and other content. Every asset added could help appeal to the end customer and increase conversion rates.

Software as a Service providers

SaaS companies can help shave a few degrees off a learning curve that might otherwise make products seem insurmountable. When backed by white label content services, you can offer educational resources for clients, such as tutorials and explainer video scripts, customizing each offering and infusing assets with authority and value.

Small and medium-sized businesses

SMBs are the most likely candidates to have plenty of vision but not enough resources to turn everything on their entrepreneurial wish lists into reality. The ability to execute on your content strategy without having to hire and train a full writing and editing staff can be invaluable.

Types of Content for White Label Agencies

White label copywriting and content services cover a huge breadth of collateral. You’re not limited to About Us web blurbs and the occasional blog — although both of those are on the table. You have access to all types of content that can help you achieve those KPI milestones essential to success. Some of the content provided by white label agencies includes:

• Blog content: Sell blog content to your end clients and help them improve both search rankings and conversion rates in one fell swoop. Blogs written by research-savvy writers or reviewed by subject matter experts can also help brands establish authority and position company heads as thought leaders.
• Social media content: Hand over responsibility for a thriving X and Facebook feed to an army of writers. Maintaining a steady flow of content on social media can boost visibility and keep consumers engaged, generating much-needed likes and clicks.
• SEO and web content: A copywriter versed in the latest SEO tactics can cater to Google’s standards. Let white label writing squads populate your site with content and landing pages with the long-tail keywords and metadata necessary to hit the top of the SERPs. 
• Case studies: Partner with a white label writing service to produce case studies of your best success stories to show prospects that what you have to offer is more than just a proposal.
• White papers and ebooks: You can offer these assets to end clients or use them yourself as gated content, generating leads and establishing authority at the same time.
• Article writing: Hire writers to craft articles for industry publications, showcase company achievements, highlight events to promote a new product, or underscore company values.

Selecting a White Label Content Writing Service

Like so many services, a white label content writing service partnership is only as effective as the partner you choose. Before you sign on the dotted line, consider what you’re looking for in a writing platform and what you need to scale your offerings.

Build the right team

One of the biggest challenges when dealing with white label content writing is figuring out how you’ll maintain content quality without having direct involvement with every member of the team. One of the easiest ways to do that is to have a project or content manager act in your stead. They serve as a single point of contact and intermediary between you and the team creating your content. They gather and train the best-suited writers, answer basic questions, review content for quality, and handle revisions as needed.

Create content guidelines

Your brand voice is extremely important and you want to maintain it regardless of who is writing your content. This is where your content brief comes in handy. The more information and guidelines you give your writers, the easier it is for them to give you exactly what you need the first time around. Remember, freelancers are experienced in words, not mind reading — provide detailed instructions once, and you’ll save yourself a lot of effort down the road.

Assess content quality

The term “good writer” has so many meanings. Most writing services will lob terms such as “quality writing team” and “experienced talent” in your direction without a second thought. But the proof really is in the pudding, and that means you need to see samples before you consider a contract.

You can also ask for case studies. Crowd Content is thrilled to show off past work, including how we helped one client increase their page views to a staggering 6 minutes. Or how we helped an agency get their client to page one of Google for 57 of their target keywords.

Consider customization options

Your agency isn’t a dime a dozen, and your content shouldn’t be generic or bland either. Ask potential white label partners how in-depth their customization options go. Can you use your own style guide? Can they match brand voice and specific requirements, such as comma and bullet point usage? How often can you change parameters to meet a particular client or project’s needs?

Understand pricing models

Content marketing partners differ in how they charge clients for content production. Some require a membership or subscription fee, with content available on a discounted basis thereafter. Crowd Content’s Managed Services extend a helping hand from content managers who post tasks and manage writers on your behalf in exchange for meeting a monthly minimum, or with our Marketplace, you can pay for content as you go and control the job posts, reviews, and final approval. 

Consider how much content you’ll need and how involved you want to be as you evaluate pricing. The best platforms can talk you through the process and recommend the right approach so you get the most bang for your buck and have room to scale your account alongside your business.

Integrating White Label Content Into Your Business Strategy

The right partner should be able to deliver content that’s ready to be integrated into your existing strategy — a strategy you’ve had time to prep and roll out, since you haven’t been spending time recruiting writers and going over first drafts with a fine-tooth comb.

To make the most of the product you’re paying for, it’s important to go in with a clear game plan:

• Know what you’re asking for. Give your white label service partner a list of expectations, including information on your preferred style, brand voice, and target audience. Using a content brief template removes questions and helps ensure consistency.
• Provide samples. Include content that demonstrates what you like — and what you don’t like — so writers know what’s a hit and what’s considered a major miss.
• Calibrate each project. If you’re ordering big blocks of content that include hundreds or even thousands of pieces that all fit a similar brief, use a calibration round to test the writing team and dial-in requirements before you go into full production.
• Have a plan for promotion and distribution. The last thing you want is to order a ton of content and then realize you have no idea what to do with it all. Part of your prewriting strategy should be putting together a content calendar that illustrates the when, where (which channels), how (content types), and who (the person in charge of pushing the content live).

View analytics and feedback. After content is live, check analytics to see which content assets are getting traction and which aren’t quite on target. Use that information to fine-tune your brief and work with the writing team to bring the next batch of content even closer to perfection.

White Label Content Writing: The Next Step in Scaling Your Business

White label content creation is the perfect storm of productivity and efficiency.. It’s like bringing on a second string of talented employees, but without the overhead and long hiring processes that goes along with investing in a  full-time team. Whether you’re looking to augment the writers already churning out quality content or you want to add content to your growing slate of services, white labeling could be your ticket to growing your business.

To see how Crowd Content’s talented pool of writers can help you stay competitive and scale on demand, check out our managed services, and create quality content without the in-house hassle.

The post White Label Content Writing for Agencies appeared first on Crowd Content - Blog.

Meanwhile, in the C-suite, the CEO and shareholders are tapping their feet impatiently. They don’t care about the nitty-gritty details or want a run-down of statistics. What they want to see is one magic number to put on their PowerPoint slides, one that answers the often dreaded question: “What’s the ROI of our content marketing, buddy?”

Sound familiar? If you’ve been in the marketing game for any length of time, you’ve wrestled with this same ROI question. It can be like trying to pin down water — slippery and always changing shape. But the good news is that content marketing ROI is quantifiable if you ask the right questions, and we’re here to help you identify exactly what those are. 

We’ll start by guiding you through the basics of content marketing metrics. We’ll discuss how to decode them and even teach you to speak the language of C-suite executives. In these uncertain economic times, understanding and proving ROI isn’t just a fun brain exercise; it’s a bulletproof vest that protects your budget and showcases just how powerful content marketing can be.

So grab your hat, Indy (or maybe just a really strong cup of coffee), and let’s dive into this ROI adventure together.

What Is Content Marketing ROI?

Content marketing ROI measures the financial return of content efforts compared with the resources invested. It’s a benchmark that guides marketers, helping them determine how their content resonates with current and potential customers and how it ultimately impacts the business’ bottom line.

ROI can be calculated as [(Revenue – Cost) / Cost] * 100.

Envision your content marketing strategy as a process similar to wooing the love of your life. You initially learn everything you can about this person — their favorite color, their hobbies, and the places you’re most likely to run into them. Then, you find small ways to catch their attention through conversations, gifts, and shared interests. The goal is for them to see you as someone who values them and someone they can trust. Every carefully planned interaction is meant to get you closer to your goal of winning them over and making them want to choose you. 

With each email, blog piece, social media post, whitepaper, or infographic you create, you’re convincing your audience to choose you. Each piece of content should be strategically placed to get their attention and establish trust. Your promotion channels might change based on the demographic of your audience, but each touch point needs to have the ultimate goal of winning them over. When you accomplish this, your content marketing ROI will be the proof. 

Imagine an online clothing retailer that invests $500 in a series of comical TikTok videos showcasing their latest summer collection. This bite-size content goes viral, attracting 5,000 new followers and generating 200 orders with an average value of $50. That’s a total of $10,000 in sales that resulted from the content strategy. When you do some simple math: [(Revenue – Cost) / Cost] x 100, you get an ROI of 1,900%. That’s a content marketing ROI that’ll make any C-suite happy!

So, understanding and optimizing your content marketing ROI isn’t just about creating stellar content. It’s about learning your audience, bonding with them, establishing trust, and winning them over.

KPI vs. ROI — Measuring What Matters

We see these acronyms thrown around a lot for measuring the effectiveness of  content marketing strategy, so let’s clarify the difference between Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and ROI. Put simply, it’s like comparing a treasure map to the actual treasure chest.

KPIs are the indicators on the map focused on specific goals, such as increasing website traffic or boosting social media engagement. They offer small snapshots along the customer journey that gauge customer interest and let you know if you’re heading in the right direction. Think of them as the small winks and smiles you get while trying to win over the love of your life. 

Common content marketing KPIs include click-through rates, time spent on a page, and lead generation. When these numbers are high, it’s a good sign. If they aren’t, it might be time to rethink your strategy. Keep in mind, however, that KPIs measure engagement and interaction, but they don’t predict a certain outcome. They’re merely indicators that your content marketing efforts are working.

Let’s use lead generation as an example. A surge in leads can potentially result in a spike in sales, directly impacting your ROI. This intricate dance between KPIs and ROI is why strategic measurement matters. It’s your job as a content marketing expert to track those KPIs and figure out how they contribute — directly or indirectly — to business growth.

But hold on; there’s another twist! The relationship between KPIs and ROI can change, depending on your specific business factors, including your:

• Short-term goals and long-term strategy
• Business model and target audience
• Industry landscape and competition
• Available resources and budget constraints
• Customer demographics and their behavior
• Content format and distribution channels

For example, if your email KPIs are stagnant, it could mean email campaigns aren’t the best way to reach your audience. You can change how you write the emails, but there’s a real possibility they’ll still end up in Junk folders simply because the people on your mailing list get too many emails from other businesses to sift through daily. 

As businesses navigate new marketing trends and consumer preferences, understanding this dynamic between KPIs and ROI empowers them to track metrics effectively while also translating those numbers into a winning content strategy for long-term success. Because let’s face it, a treasure map is only useful if it leads you to actual treasure.

Defining Key Metrics for Content Marketing

Here’s where the fun part happens. Let’s look at the key metrics most businesses use to determine if their current content marketing strategy is heading in the right direction and gaining enough traction. 

Qualified leads

This is the crème de la crème of metrics — the people who are practically begging you to take their money. They’ve engaged with your content, clicked all the right buttons, and are ready to become loyal customers. 

• Example: Your e-book on industry secrets turns Joe Customer into a super fan who devours every webinar and downloads every case study. He’s practically banging on your door to try your product or service. 
• Significance: These folks are worth their weight in gold, so track those qualified leads like a hawk and nurture relationships with them. They’re the key to unlocking higher content marketing ROI.

User experience

Providing an amazing user experience means your content isn’t just informative — it’s also engaging and keeps visitors glued to your website. Think smooth navigation, snappy website loading times, and content that’s as addictive as buttered popcorn at the movies.

• Example: Your blog posts have readers scrolling for hours, posted videos get multiple likes and shares, and that interactive infographic makes a lot of lives easier. Good job for providing a stellar user experience!
• Significance: Happy visitors = engaged customers = successful business. This simple math on content marketing shows the importance of connecting with your audience where they are instead of using marketing channels that don’t interest them.

SEO performance

Not only do you need to grab the attention of potential customers, but you also want Google’s attention. This involves using keywords, backlinks, and domain authority as secret weapons to attract organic traffic.

• Example: Your blog post “10 Ways to Save on Groceries” lands near the top of search engine results. This causes a massive rise in organic traffic to your website.
• Significance: More eyes on your content means increased opportunities to convert those visitors into paying customers.

Web traffic

The more your content engages audiences, the more traffic you’ll get to your website. Once they’re there, give them additional content that informs, entertains, and strengthens your brand. 

• Example: You launch a social media campaign that goes viral and doubles organic traffic to your website. Along with this increased traffic comes a significant boost in sales. 
• Significance: Knowing where your audience lives online and how you’ll most likely catch their attention helps you tailor your content strategy to produce a higher ROI. 

Onsite engagement

Your website is your content’s home, so make sure it’s a welcoming one.

• Example: You design an interactive infographic that helps your audience understand a complicated issue better. This establishes you as an expert who wants to help make their lives easier. Bounce rates plummet, time spent skyrockets, and your content becomes the ultimate conversation starter.
• Significance:  Fine-tune your content for maximum impact, optimizing the user journey and creating an unforgettable experience.

Social media ROI

It’s not just about pretty pictures and witty captions — those shares, comments, and clicks are your social currency that directly impacts content marketing ROI.

• Example: Your hilarious company Christmas party bloopers reel gets thousands of views, shares, and comments. Many follow links to your website to learn more about you and your products/services. 
• Significance: Harness the power of social media to amplify your content’s reach and influence.

Exposure & authority

When audiences start connecting your company’s name to engaging, useful content, you become the expert in the field. 

• Example: Bloggers in the industry regularly cite your case study or survey to prove their point.
• Significance: Establish yourself as the go-to authority in your field, building a reputation that goes beyond the digital realm.

Sales

This is the moment you’ve been waiting for — when your content marketing efforts translate into cash.

• Example: Your content strategy is directly associated with sales figures going through the roof, and your CEO gives you a standing ovation. 
• Significance: All the marketing efforts you’ve made achieve quantifiable results.

By mastering these metrics, you can transform data into actionable insights and craft a journey for your audience that leads them straight to your door. 

Industry-Specific ROI Insights

Deciphering content marketing ROI across different industries can feel like a guessing game with varying outcomes.

Just like you wouldn’t compare apples to oranges, judging a company’s content marketing success solely on another’s ROI is a recipe for confusion. Why? Because the effectiveness of content marketing can vary wildly depending on your industry, target audience, and even the type of content you produce.

Tech titans and finance gurus: ROI champions?

The tech and finance sectors seem to have cracked the content marketing code with impressive average ROI figures. Tech companies, for example, are raking in a whopping 650% ROI, suggesting they know a thing or two about how to do it right. Similarly, the finance industry isn’t holding back — with a solid 590% ROI, likely due to its focus on providing valuable insights and building trust with clients.

Healthcare and nonprofits: A slower climb, but don’t count them out

Businesses within the healthcare and nonprofit sectors face unique content marketing challenges, resulting in slightly lower average ROIs (425% and 350%, respectively). These industries often deal with more complex customer journeys and fewer direct sales opportunities. However, with a strategic approach, content marketing can still be a powerful tool for building brand awareness, fostering trust, and ultimately driving positive outcomes.

Beyond the numbers: Understanding your industry’s content ecosystem

It’s important to analyze your industry’s content landscape and understand your target audience’s content consumption habits. Specifically:

• How does your audience engage with content in your industry? Do they prefer reading blogs or watching videos?
• Which social media platform do they use?
• What types of content do best in your sector?
• How does your content compare to your industry rivals? A little competitive analysis never hurt anyone.

By delving into these aspects and considering industry-specific ROI benchmarks, you can create a content strategy that’s tailor-made for your unique market. Remember, it’s not always about chasing the highest numbers — it’s about understanding those numbers within a specific context. 

Tracking Content Marketing ROI

We won’t mince words — tracking content marketing ROI isn’t a one-size-fits-all endgame. You can’t just throw darts in the dark and hope for the best. It’s about equipping yourself with the right tools and techniques to uncover the hidden secrets of your content’s performance, so let’s take a look at them now. 

Integrating analytics tools

First things first, let’s unpack the necessities in your content toolkit. Analytics platforms, such as Google Analytics, SEMrush, and HubSpot, reveal valuable insights into website traffic, user behavior, and conversion rates. They show how your audience interacts with your content pieces. 

Evaluating SEO success

Don’t underestimate the power of SEO. Tools such as Moz and Ahrefs help you track keyword performance, backlinks, and overall domain authority compared to your direct competitors. By aligning your content strategy with SEO best practices, you’re not only creating engaging content, but you’re also ensuring the right people in the right places are seeing it.

Social media tracking

Measuring how your audience reacts to the content you post on Facebook or X (formerly known as Twitter) is no easy endeavor. Social media content strategy can be a massive undertaking that requires a lot of time and manpower, and companies that jump on the social media bandwagon without understanding this are in for a rude awakening. 

Analytics tools built into these platforms provide detailed insights into who’s interacting with your content, how often, and what kind of impact it’s having. But if your audience simply isn’t there, no strategy will change that. In those situations, social media can waste more time than it’s worth and actually lower your content marketing ROI. 

Lead tracking and conversion

Content isn’t just about creating buzz. It’s also about generating leads and nurturing them into loyal customers. CRM and marketing automation tools, such as Salesforce and Marketo, help you follow the trail of your content, revealing how it contributes to lead generation and customer acquisition. This is where you discover your content’s true impact on the company’s bottom line. 

Using dashboards for comprehensive views

Dashboards bring together data from all your analytics platforms, SEO tools, and social media platforms for a comprehensive view of your content’s performance. It’s like looking at a giant map of your content, with every detail plotted out for easy analysis.

Making data-driven decisions

Now that you’ve unlocked content insights through various analytics tools, you can use those data-driven nuggets of wisdom to refine your content strategy, optimize existing content, and allocate resources where they’ll have the most impact. Remember, content marketing ROI is a continuous journey of exploration and refinement. It requires enough sense of adventure to experiment with various tracking methods and platforms while listening carefully to your audience’s feedback. 

Strategies For Improving Content Marketing ROI

Clearly, there is no universal strategy for improving content marketing ROI. Achieving success (and numbers that impress the C-Suite) means looking at a lot of moving parts and being open to adapting your strategy quickly when the data tells you to. 

 Here are a few tips that can make the process smoother: 

Align content types with business goals and funnel stages

Working with your customers is similar to a river journey that requires different types of boats to navigate it successfully. Each piece of content you create is a certain kind of boat designed for different stages of the journey. 

• Awareness Stage: Cast a wide net with educational blog posts, infographics, and videos that introduce your brand as the answer to your audience’s problems. Think of these as friendly rafts, welcoming curious travelers aboard for a journey down the river.
• Consideration Stage: It’s time for a boat that handles rougher waters. White papers, webinars, and case studies showcase your expertise like sturdy canoes guiding potential customers through the rapids of decision-making.
• Decision Stage: This stage of the river requires product comparisons, testimonials, and detailed guides to help solidify your expertise. These are your lifeboats, helping customers reach the shore of conversion while feeling confident they’re safe in your company’s hands.

Clarify content purpose and goals

Every piece of content you publish should have a clear mission for a definitive stage of the customer journey. It’s not enough to throw words at the wall. Each article, video, or infographic needs a target audience and expected outcome. Are you aiming for brand awareness, lead generation, or a specific conversion? At which stage of the journey will your audience see this content? Define your goals and align your content accordingly.

Let data drive content optimization

By tracking page views, time on page, and conversion rates, you’ll decipher which content resonates and which falls flat. Use these insights to refine your approach or take an entirely different approach when the numbers aren’t moving in the right direction. 

Balance SEO with audience value

SEO is the wind in your sails for getting content in front of online audiences. However, it’s also highly dynamic and can blow your ship away from your audience’s needs if you only focus on algorithms that are in constant flux. Keywords should guide your strategy but not dictate it because no one wants to read keyword-stuffed content. It’s essential to maintain harmony between search engine optimization and genuinely valuable material that establishes trust and authority while engaging your audience. 

The power of unconventional content: A zombie apocalypse success story

Sometimes, the key to ROI lies outside conventional tactics. Take SunGard Availability Services, for example. It turned its IT security solutions into a zombie apocalypse survival guide, complete with an e-book, infographics, and email campaigns leading audiences back to its website and services. The result? A 150% increase in click-through rates and a 200% higher click-to-open rate. That’s the power of creative, unexpected content.

The Evolving Quest for Content Marketing ROI

Unlocking the mysteries of content marketing ROI isn’t just about crunching numbers or running analytics; it’s about understanding your audience, crafting compelling content, and using that data to make adjustments when the numbers don’t line up. By staying adaptable and creative, you’ll gain content marketing ROI success. 

Ready to create your own content marketing strategies? Partner with a team that understands the art of storytelling and the science of analytics. Contact us today and let our experienced content marketers guide you toward your ROI goals.

The post The Ultimate Guide to Content Marketing ROI appeared first on Crowd Content - Blog.

Gone are the days of just winging it. Today’s cluttered blog landscape and the developing metaverse of tech and talk mean spontaneous posting just isn’t enough to get your brand noticed. That’s why it’s so important to understand what makes a strong content production process.

See how infusing every step of your content strategy with a triple-optimization approach (SEO, reader engagement, and business goals) can get you where you need to go.

What Is Content Production and How Does It Connect to Your Digital Marketing Strategy?

Content production is a comprehensive process and includes planning, creating, refining, and publishing content to meet your business objectives. This is so much more than dashing off a blog post and pushing it through your WordPress dashboard.

Properly producing effective and on-brand content requires equal parts art and science. The artsy end of things comes when your writer crafts a pithy turn of phrase or your graphics team creates a memorable infographic. The science portion of the process involves things like keyword research, evaluation of potential distribution channels, and analytics review.

All these components feed into and become one with your digital marketing strategy. Think about how you choose to spend time on and funnel resources into:

• Audience engagement
• Brand awareness
• Search engine optimization
• Lead generation
• Social media presence
• Email marketing
• Analytics and iteration
• Consumer education

Lay the proper foundation; tick all the boxes, and visibility and audience reach will soar. Skip steps or engage in random marketing — think paying freelancers for content without a brief or review process — and you might as well convert your marketing budget into dollar bills, throw the pile into gale-force winds, and try to get your stack back in place. 

The Process of Content Production: Strategies for Guaranteed Results

We should preface: There are no guarantees in content or marketing overall. But there are ways you can construct your content production process to increase your chances of success. For your content to be a hit, you should pay attention to every stage of the process and understand the true goal for each phase. 

Hint: Too much of what should happen early in the process is often left to writers. 

1. Initial strategy/keyword research/analysis

This is where you establish the initial whos, whats, and whys of content creation.

• Why are you producing content in the first place?
• What business goals are you trying to achieve with content? 
• Who is the content for?
• What does that audience need or want?
• What are your competitors doing better than you? 
• What are your competitors not doing well?

Keyword research, market research, and market trend analysis can aid your search for those answers. The goal is to understand what your competitors are up to and how your target audience behaves to better fuel your strategy.

2. Ideation

Brainstorm unique and competitive ideas that address the keywords and their respective search intent. Every concept should build on the research in step one and answer those whos, whats, and whys.

3. Pre-production

Pre-production is like planning for the plan. What kind of timeline are you thinking, and what outside influences (an upcoming product launch date, for instance) impact your decisions?

During this phase, create content briefs and infographic templates, conduct interviews, or send out surveys that will become part of the content created down the line. Don’t leave the opinions and insights captured in your content to chance here; determine what they’ll be before moving onto the next phase.

4. Writing

Now, the content briefs, resources, and instructions land in the hands of talented freelancers or your in-house writing team, and the actual writing begins.

5. Editing

Fully drafted content is sent to editors, who review everything for clarity, coherence, grammar, and style. This stage is not just a case of dotting an “i” here and crossing a “t” over there. Editors contextually review the content, double-checking that it aligns with brand guidelines and the messaging fits the campaign.

6. Review

Send the edited draft to anyone who needs or wants to give their input. This may include subject matter experts, peer reviews, or other decision-makers on your team. Content that’s on point moves to the next step. Everything else gets marked up and sent back for further work.

7. Design

Support written content with bespoke images, graphics, and videos. Everything should slot in well with existing branded material and be formatted for the intended distribution channels — no long-form videos for TikTok or long-winded rants for X.

8. Publishing

Send your finished, multifaceted content out into the world. Channels might include your company website, a branded blog, social media pages, email newsletters, industry publications, podcasts, or e-books.

9. Tracking/analytics

Use key performance indicators to track how your content is doing and whether you’re meeting your brand’s goals. Metrics such as page views, conversion rates, social shares, and post likes and comments can give you insight into what’s working well and where you could improve. Be sure the primary metric you track for each asset aligns with the reason you created the content in the first place. 

10. Content refresh

Update content that has grown stale or isn’t performing as you’d hoped by adding insights, recent developments in the topic, and updated statistics. At this stage, you should also ensure that the content still aligns with the search intent of your primary keywords. 

Best Practices for SEO and Content Production

There are lots of bits and pieces that go into planning stellar content, but SEO is a big one — it’s integral in producing compelling content that ranks high in the SERPs. Best practices demand you incorporate SEO at least three times during the content production process:

• Keyword research: During the ideation phase, spend time researching what keywords can help you achieve business goals and which best answer your target audience’s queries.
• Search intent optimization: As your team creates content, they incorporate the keywords chosen during the ideation phase. These should address users’ questions and individual stages of the buyer’s journey. By determining the intent behind KWs, you can ensure you attract the right online traffic.

Image Source: semrush.com

• SEO analysis: After publishing your content, track and analyze key metrics that show how that content is performing. This requires looking at organic search traffic and click and conversion rates to see which KWs are effective and which may not best serve your purpose.

Working SEO into your content production process offers a range of benefits, such as improved visibility and rankings, increased organic traffic (saving money on paid ads), and advantages over the competition. But SEO is also closely tied to user experience. When you serve your research KWs properly versus simply shoving them into existing content, you give searchers valuable content that satisfies their needs and wants.

AI and Other Advanced Strategies in Content Production

Storytelling is the foundation of content production. It doesn’t matter if you’re talking about product descriptions, white papers, or press releases. The bottom line is that you’re telling a story. This is more important than ever with Google’s E-E-A-T guidelines, which favor personalization and experience. While weaving a tale is a tradition as old as time, the methods you can use to convey your message have evolved.

Artificial intelligence

Not too long ago, AI seemed like something to be feared rather than embraced, but machine learning is transforming digital marketing at a rapid pace. For content production, AI has several purposes:

• Content personalization: Use AI to get to know your core audience’s behavioral patterns and preferences. Algorithms can review massive data sets and find patterns in record time, efficiently informing your strategy.
• Content optimization: Tools that oversee A/B testing and analyze content can help evaluate context, sentiment, and technical SEO needs.
• Predictive analytics: Knowing what lies ahead can help you stay ahead of the curve. AI-powered predictive analytics look at future trends and expected content performance to see what audiences might love tomorrow as well as today.
• Content creation: You can use AI to create outlines, brainstorm topic clusters, and even write actual content — as long as there’s always human oversight and final review processes in place.
• Content distribution: Figure out where to distribute your content and use AI scheduling tools to push out social posts and other assets when they’ll have the most impact.

User-generated content

User-generated content is all the content created by fans or followers of your brand. Testimonials, hashtag campaigns, social media posts, case studies, and even comments on blogs or social profiles are all types of UGC that can help create a more authentic content experience.

UGC is a win-win proposal. You save money on paid content creation and take advantage of social proof. Consider that, out of 500-plus surveyed marketers, 92% reported increased brand awareness due to UGC. 

In recent years, Formula 1’s racing team, Mclaren, has encouraged fans to use the hashtag “FansLikeNoOther” to increase brand awareness.

Top Tools and Resources for Effective Content Production

You can use top-rated tools and platforms to help guide and streamline the content production process. Here are some of our favorites.

• Content management systems facilitate content creation, modification, and overall management. They’re primarily used to manage website content, as seen with sites like WordPress and Squarespace. Some, like Shopify, have additional utilities to facilitate running an online store or creating a digital portfolio.
• SEO tools: Google Keyword Planner and Ahrefs are two of the biggest SEO tools in the marketplace. They help brands identify relevant keywords and provide in-depth analysis of goodies like backlink potential and competitor strategies.
• Analytics platforms: Master business intelligence’s nuances with platforms designed to discover and analyze data and provide actionable insights. With tools like Google Analytics, Semrush, and HubSpot, you can make data-driven decisions that fuel your overall digital marketing strategy.
• AI-driven technology: AI content creation tools focusing on the written word are everywhere these days, with sites like OwlyWriter AI and ChatGPT making major waves. But there are also tools for creating AI graphics (Midjourney), recording and editing podcasts (Podcastle), and building competitive content strategies (Crayon).
• Project management: Make no mistake, scattered communication and a lack of centralization can bring a robust content production team to its knees. Look for tools that support the collaborative process that content production has to be. Tools like Trello, Asana, monday.com, and Basecamp should fit the bill here. 

Key Challenges and Solutions in Content Production

Even experienced content production specialists run into hurdles from time to time, and for newbies, content creation can be a minefield. Understanding common challenges and approaching them armed with solutions can mean the difference between achieving success or stumbling.

• Maintaining content quality: When you start to generate more content or branch out from your initial content type or topics, it’s easy to watch quality sink as you just focus on getting it out there. It’s important to post consistently and stay visible, but if that means you start churning out content that lacks value and authority, the tradeoff isn’t worth it.
• Scaling production: Companies often experience temporary surges in production needs, such as wanting to populate a new blog in under a month or needing tons of local SEO service pages lumped into a one-off order. Other brands want to rapidly scale from a couple of pieces of content a week to a couple dozen. That’s hard to accomplish when relying solely on in-house staff.

These concerns can be mitigated — if not eliminated — by outsourcing content creation. At Crowd Content, we funnel our resources into building vetted, experienced networks of writers, editors, and subject matter experts who know how to generate high-quality content. With a pool of talent already in place and a three-step quality assurance process on tap, you can get a single piece of content or 1,000 product descriptions at a time, all while preserving quality.

The Role of Visuals and Multimedia Content in Content Production

The word “content” is often tied to text-based assets, but content production encompasses visual elements and multimedia creations. A whopping 91% of consumers prefer viewing visual content over something written. 

Incorporating so-called visual aids such as videos, infographics, images, and interactive elements into your content — or as the content itself — can make content more appealing. It may also make the things you publish more memorable and more desirable for consumers to share.

And while infographics, videos, and tables do take some effort to create, images that illustrate, entertain, and break up lengthy articles are now merely a few keystrokes away. 

Future Trends in Content Production

As we tiptoe further into the year, expect the landscape of content production to change. Some shifts may feel small, like shifting consumer behavior that hints at more significant changes in years to come. Other trends are poised to smack into industry norms hard enough to make the industry quake.

Take Google’s Search Generative Experience, for example. This feature, unveiled by Google in 2023, uses the power of AI to give searchers insight into their topic of interest without the need to repeatedly click on links in the SERPs. The risks and opportunities presented by this extension of Google’s search ecosystem aren’t yet known. Still, companies will have to adapt to more zero-click search and fight to be featured and preserve organic traffic.

Content Production Today, Tomorrow, and Beyond 2024

Crowd Content’s content creation services lead the industry with a pool of content managers, writers, SMEs, and editors who are as talented as they are committed to all things content. 

While there’s no such thing as a turnkey content production process, getting to know the top tools, strategies, and trends can undoubtedly make it easier to produce content that resonates. Given the importance of crazy-good content in digital marketing, it’s more important than ever that you get expert guidance and ultimately produce content that makes you — and your audience — proud.

The post Crafting Content That Counts: Inside the Content Production Process appeared first on Crowd Content - Blog.

This guide offers clarity around the content channels you can choose from, with examples of how other brands are leveraging these platforms. We’ll explore how to choose channels to share your content and ways to track performance to build a robust brand presence. To wrap up, we’ll peek into the crystal ball to see what the future of content distribution might look like.

The Essence of Content Distribution Channels

If you’re producing high-quality content, you’re on your way to building brand awareness, nurturing leads, and closing sales. However, you still need to nail down your distribution strategy to get that content in front of potential customers. 

If you feel it’s hard to find and connect with your audience, you’re not alone — there’s a lot of competition for their attention. Consider what happens in a single minute on the internet:

• Emails sent: 241 million
• Terms searched on Google: 6.3 million
• WhatsApp messages sent: 41.6 million
• Facebook posts liked: 4.0 million
• X (Twitter) posts sent: 360,000
• Years of streaming content watched: 43
• Global hours spent online: 25.1 million

With all this digital commotion, taking a measured approach to content distribution helps cut through the noise. By assessing the effectiveness of potential channels, you should come closer to your goals.

As you continue through this guide, remember: Content channels overlap. Your social profiles send traffic to your blog; your website promotes your latest posts, and paid ads funnel traffic to your landing pages. Your content distribution strategy needs to work cohesively to engage customers and guide them through your marketing funnel.

Types of Content Distribution Channels

Content distribution channels are the various platforms and media you use to promote and share content with your target audiences. They’re divided into three categories: owned, earned, and paid. 

1. Owned channels

Owned content distribution channels are properties you manage or control. You can distribute content on your schedule and customize it to suit your branding and messaging goals. Some examples of owned channels include:

Websites

A website is the foundation of your digital presence, containing official information about your company’s products and services and generating and converting leads. Visitors from search engines, social media platforms, paid ads, and newsletters often land on your website.

Since you have autonomy over user experience and functionality, you can publish an array of web content and get creative with engagement tools.

Blogs

Blogs are an extension of your website. By delivering helpful content to your audience, blogs position your business as an authority in your field. You have the flexibility to plan and distribute content for different audiences and stages of the buyer’s journey. 

IBM, for example, has a comprehensive blog with topic clusters that demonstrate their depth of knowledge. Users can navigate to subjects such as artificial intelligence, security and identity, and business automation. 

Social media accounts

Your social media accounts let you connect with online customers wherever they hang out. Even if they don’t follow you, they can discover you through a hashtag. To leverage social channels effectively, you’ll need an in-depth understanding of which platforms your audience uses.

You can use social media to tease content on your blog or deliver content on the platform. Lululemon’s Instagram reel, for example, promotes a New York pop-up event.

Newsletters

Newsletters let you reach your customers directly in their inbox. You can set your distribution frequency and customize the content of your mailings to link to blog posts, promote new products, and offer discounts.

The beauty of newsletters is you can segment recipients by audience, personalizing content based on customer demographics, interests, and behaviors. Want to reach out to customers who haven’t purchased in a while? Tailor content based on what they ordered previously to reignite their interest.

At Crowd Content, we opt for both written and video newsletters. 

Consumer-facing apps

Customers reach for mobile apps when shopping and ordering food, but forward-thinking brands are using them to keep audiences engaged.

Check out Nike’s group of mobile apps, focused on interests such as shopping, workouts, running, and new product drops. Nike Training Club, for example, is dedicated to wellness and distributes content such as yoga videos and healthy eating tips. 

2. Earned channels

Earned or shared channels are organic, unpaid avenues owned by third parties. Snagging a mention on these channels can give you exposure to a wider audience, but you do have to earn the opportunity by:

• Generating interest or loyalty in your brand, which inspires users to recommend or promote your company
• Demonstrating credibility so a third party feels confident associating with your business

Media coverage

A highly coveted earned distribution channel is media coverage. A profile in a reputable publication or industry blog can amplify your brand and send users flowing to your website. Audiences view these channels as especially trustworthy because you can’t control your placement or pay for it.

It might be hard to land a mention on a site like Wirecutter or authoritative sources for your industry, but you can sometimes coax similar results through press releases and some savvy PR. Just make sure you have a newsworthy reason for reaching out. 

BrightLocal publishes data-filled reports that are frequently cited. Shout About Us published an entire article summarizing one of their reports, providing BrightLocal with unpaid promotion and authority-building backlinks.

Guest blogging

With guest blogging, you contribute content to third-party sites. This practice is a win-win for both sides. You’re introducing your brand to potential new customers, and the partnering site benefits from your expertise and content. Make sure the site you’re contributing to has the same target audience as your brand, and make the most of the opportunity with exceptional content to emphasize your credibility.

Littledata, an e-commerce data platform, authored a guest article on Smile.io, a loyalty app. Both businesses target online retailers. The piece delivers useful information to readers, but more importantly, it highlights the Littledata brand with links to Littledata’s X account, white paper landing page, and free GA4 order checker tool. 

User-generated content

User-generated content (UGC) is influential word-of-mouth information created by your customers and fans. UGC comes in many forms: images of new purchases, fun unboxing videos, beauty product tutorials, reviews, and testimonials. UGC carries significant weight with audiences because it tends to feel genuine.

Instagram user charlesjpgs tagged RockCreek Seafood & Spirits during a recent dining experience, providing the restaurant with potential exposure to nearly 50,000 followers. On a larger scale, GoPro promotes UGC by giving their users a tool to share their video adventures to social media. 

Keep an eye on social media review sites for user-generated content around your brand, and interact with posts by liking, sharing, and commenting. It helps if you’ve built a community of engaged followers — you can create your own hashtag and invite customers to share their experiences. 

3. Paid channels

Paid content channels help you tap into a targeted audience, providing significant exposure to customers you don’t normally reach through other channels. 

Digital advertising

Digital ads are also known as pay-per-click (PPC) because you only pay when someone clicks the link. They’re found throughout the internet in different forms:

• Search engine marketing ads appear on search results pages above the organic snippets.
• Social media ads appear in the feeds of users who match the ad’s target audience.
• Display ads include banners and other clickable ads on websites and apps.

You can zero in on the audience you want to reach based on their demographics, location, device, interests, search terms, and other targeting options. Customize your ads with text, images, or video, and support them with a well-crafted landing page to convert clicks.

Influencer partnerships

Influencers have an audience of followers who look to them for niche recommendations. These content creators can give your brand a sizable boost by talking about or using your product, offering discount codes to their followers, or running contests and giveaways. If their audience matches your target demographic, you’ve got an opportunity to connect with a fresh segment of customers.

Influencers typically create content in their own style for authenticity. KitchenAid’s most high-profile partnership may be with actor Jennifer Garner, who uses the mixer to whip up recipes in her “Pretend Cooking Show” posts. However, the brand has many online ambassadors promoting its products.

Sponsored content

With sponsored content, you pay a third-party site to distribute your content to their audience. It’s similar in concept to guest blogging, but you’re paying for the exposure.

Software company Accelo has a sponsored post on the Search Engine Journal site about mitigating agency churn. It’s created in the form of a blog post, delivering expertise on a topic while also promoting their client work management platform. The piece ends with a link to a free trial to generate leads. Search Engine Journal does identify sponsored posts to distinguish them from their regular content.

Evaluating Content Distribution Channels

So many channels, so little time. How do you choose between them? To begin, each type of channel has advantages and limitations that you’ll have to weigh:

• Earned channels carry a lot of credibility but can be hard to secure. You can work toward these organic endorsements by cultivating relationships, but don’t rely on them solely for promoting your brand.
• Paid channels generate quick results, helping you reach a specific demographic in a short period. But on the flip side, they can be costly to maintain long-term and you lose visibility when ads stop running. 
• Owned channels give you complete control over messaging, style, and branding, and you can update content whenever you wish. These properties help you build a strong online presence but take time and resources to build and manage.

The channel, combination of channels, and investment for each channel you choose greatly impacts the results you’ll get. Here’s where research, trial, analytics, and adjustments come into play. 

Perform due diligence 

Picking content distribution channels is a bit like matchmaking: You’ve got to make sure the channel is compatible with your goals and target audience. What you shouldn’t do is randomly push out content on different channels in the hopes that somewhere, something clicks. 

You can make purposeful and informed decisions when you:

• Research your audience: Conduct market research to understand where your target customers go for information and their preferences for consuming content. If they’re not on Pinterest, you don’t need to be either.
• Identify your business goals: Look at your short- and long-term goals. Determine which channels are best, whether you’re focused on product launches, customer acquisition, lead generation, or customer retention.
• Review past performance: Analyze the channels you’ve used previously, and look at the costs and results. You may decide to continue distributing content on some channels or, based on audience research, move on to others. 
• Stay competitive: What are your competitors doing? Monitor your industry to see where brands are finding their customers. If competitors are having success engaging audiences on another channel, you may want to test it out, too.
• Optimize resources: Track data to understand the best return on investment, and adjust your strategies accordingly. We’ll explore this in more detail a little further down.

Diversify your channels

As you develop your content distribution strategy, aim to make it sustainable. If any of your channels lose traction, you should have others in place to pick up the slack. We recommend a mix of owned, earned, and paid distribution channels so you enjoy stability and growth.

“Marketers need to look at their different channels as an investment portfolio in terms of diversification and return,” suggests Carlos Meza, President and CEO of Crowd Content. “Double down on your winners, invest in other channels to mitigate risk, and make some bets on high-potential channels.”

Here are some examples of what a content channel portfolio might look like in practice:

• Double down on your winners: Is your website making progress in generating organic search traffic? Direct more resources to the channel to accelerate growth.
• Invest in other channels: While you’re reaping the benefits of your proven assets, strengthen other channels. You might focus on growing your newsletter mailing list to safeguard leads in case your search rankings take a hit.
• Bet on high-potential channels: Based on your market research, test out promising new avenues for content distribution. Maybe you can check out TikTok or try your hand at digital PR. 

Avoid having all your eggs in one particular channel, as it can leave you exposed. You may be one Google algorithm update away from having your traffic, engagement, and inbound leads vanish overnight.

Carlos Meza

Measuring and Analyzing Performance

Your content distribution strategy may be sound in theory, but you can’t always predict customer behavior or the impact of external factors.

Set benchmarks so you can compare performance after specific campaigns and on a monthly, quarterly, and annual basis. Regular tracking gives you the data you need to guide decisions and refine strategies. You may want to test messaging and timing, for example, to see if any adjustments impact performance. 

Select your metrics and tools

There are many metrics you can measure, but focus on ones that deliver meaningful data. They should be tied to the content channel and the goals you’ve set so you can measure your progress. We’ve listed below some common metrics for various channels, along with tools you can use to gather insight.

Sample website metrics 

• Organic traffic
• Unique visitors
• Page views
• Time spent on page
• Bounce rate
• Time spent on site
• Conversion rate (for desired actions, such as white paper downloads or free trials)

How to track website metrics: Google Analytics, Google Search Console, Semrush, Ahrefs

Sample PPC metrics

• Impressions
• Reach
• Click-through rate
• Cost per click
• Return on investment

How to track PPC metrics: Google Ads and individual social media platforms

Sample social media metrics

• Engagement (followers, likes, shares, comments, views)
• Reach/impressions
• Click-through rate
• Conversion rate

How to track social media metrics: Analytics features on individual platforms or dashboards such as Hootsuite and Rival IQ

Sample newsletter marketing metrics

• Open rates
• Click-through rates
• Conversion rates
• Subscriber growth

How to track newsletter marketing metrics: Email marketing tools, such as HubSpot, Mailchimp, and Constant Contact

Future Trends in Content Distribution

The playing field for content distribution is ever-changing. Competition is ramping up, new channels are vying for attention, and audience preferences change. Here are some content distribution trends we’re keeping an eye on:

• The role of content intelligence: This AI-driven technology processes existing content, behavioral data, and market research to provide in-depth audience insights. Watch for marketers to lean on content intelligence platforms to choose content types, formats, and distribution channels.
• Data-driven personalization: There’s more data than ever to analyze, and the focus will be on harnessing information to deliver hyper-personal experiences. Marketers can use proprietary data, third-party data, and AI technologies to build a better understanding of how people move through channels. Based on these patterns, they can deliver precise content.
• Holistic content distribution: Instead of having SEO, social media, and digital ad teams working in silos, brands will begin to unify content across touchpoints to provide a seamless experience.
• Renewed emphasis on owned channels: With so many changes in the distribution landscape, marketers will focus on properties they have control over to ride out any rough patches. This may include strengthening brand websites as a trusted source of information, creating loyalty through memberships, and building first-party mailing lists.

Trying to balance the pieces of your content strategy? Our experts can help with your content production or distribution needs. Contact us today for a free consultation about how to maximize your content marketing to keep in step with your customers, no matter where they’re spending their time online. 

The post A Marketer’s Guide to Exploring Effective Content Distribution Channels appeared first on Crowd Content - Blog.

Enter the content gap analysis. Designed to find weaknesses in your strategy, an SEO content analysis helps you identify the topics you should be writing about to reach your target audience. This technique zeroes in on shortcomings within your overall content inventory and individual pieces of content so you can perform better in Google and satisfy your audience’s needs.

What Is Content Gap Analysis?

Content gap analysis is the process of finding limitations in your content offerings. It uses a number of techniques to find keyword, topic, and quality gaps so you can produce an effective mix of content to attract and engage your target audience. 

If you’ve followed conventional SEO best practices to date, you’ve built your site by defining your audience and performing keyword research to find the search terms they’re using. Each piece of content you’ve published should weave in keywords and lead users from the search engine result pages to your website.

These SEO strategies remain a critical step for laying the foundation of your site, but a competitive content analysis adds another layer to strengthen it. An analysis scans for cracks in this foundation — places where searchers slip through and have their needs met better on competing websites.

Purpose of an SEO content analysis

When you look for content marketing gaps, you can dig up elements missing from your content catalog. This can take a couple of different forms:

• Keyword gaps: What keywords are your customers searching for that aren’t covered on your site? If you’re not appearing in the top searches for relevant terms, you’re losing out on a key audience segment. These phrases are usually longtail keywords that help you connect with a niche audience. 
• Quality gaps: What’s lacking in individual pieces of content that would make your web page more useful and comprehensive? You can add more topics to lend depth to a piece, use media such as videos or images to complement text, or make the page easier to consume. After all, if you’re drawing customers to your content but they still aren’t satisfied, they’re going to return to Google to find a better source.

When to perform a content gap analysis

We recommend SEO content analysis for websites that have some traction, meaning there’s a collection of content optimized according to best practices. A content analysis is the natural next step to ensure peak performance. It’s useful to incorporate this step into your strategic planning so you’re constantly leveling up by assessing your content needs, prioritizing them, and building them into your editorial calendar.

If your website is brand new, focus on optimizing your website for core keywords related to your business. Keep the content gap analysis in your toolkit for use once you have a content base.

The Importance of an SEO Content Analysis

Now to the good stuff. How does looking for digital content gaps pay off? When executed well, a gap analysis improves SEO by:

• Diversifying content you can rank for
• Informing content strategies based on demand and data
• Tapping into new audience segments
• Improving your site’s relevance
• Driving organic traffic to your web pages
• Ensuring you’re visible in the same spaces your competitors are

Think of it this way: Each piece of content you publish is a path to your site. Your customers can follow many paths from the SERPs, but if yours isn’t there during their search, they’re taking another route to a competitor.

Here’s a simple example to illustrate a content gap. Let’s say you run a dog daycare. You’ve targeted high-value keywords such as “what is doggy daycare” and “what age for doggy daycare” and are generating some traffic. Your gap analysis techniques show competitors are also ranking for “dog daycare with webcams,” but alas! You have the technology but no content for this keyword. You’re missing an entire segment of customers who are only looking at daycares with webcam technology. You can now create content to target these potential new clients. 

Page-level content gaps

There’s another piece to this puzzle. The reality of modern-day SEO is that a well-written piece of content doesn’t stand alone — it’s not enough to drive your business goals. The value of your content is measured against your customers’ expectations and competitors’ offerings.

Gap analysis techniques can be used to find shortfalls in individual pieces of content. Remember, the content that ranks on the first page isn’t perfect — it’s just the best Google could find. If you can improve your content so it’s better than what’s currently available, you’re getting even more benefits by:

• Providing value to readers
• Improving engagement through top-notch content
• Bringing customers into your marketing funnel to encourage conversions
• Establishing expertise and authority in your niche

Here’s one more example from our fictitious dog daycare. A gap analysis might show your article about the benefits of dog daycare ranks just outside the first page of results. When you review the pages ahead of yours, you discover the articles cover the same points as yours, just reworded. You realize there’s an opportunity for a more dynamic piece by filling a media gap, so you create a video of clients explaining why they bring their dogs to daycare. You’re now offering unique insight, providing more value to your audience, and positioning your web page to start climbing the rankings.

Strategies and Tactics for Effective Gap Analysis

Looking for digital content gaps can be time-consuming because there are so many possible pieces missing from an SEO strategy. 

Tackle the process based on your business goals. Do you want to improve current content, broaden keyword opportunities, or boost engagement?

Below are some tactics you can put into action. And if it seems daunting, remember that gap analyses should be a regular part of your content strategy. You don’t have to do it all now — break it down and focus on one component at a time. 

Perform a content audit for SEO

No matter what your goals, your gap analysis should begin with a content inventory so you have the big picture. Begin by creating an inventory in a spreadsheet.

Your spreadsheet should detail each page on your site, including assets such as videos, images, and PDFs. At a minimum, itemize the URL, page title, topic, content type, date published, and date last updated. You can refer to this spreadsheet when you’re checking to see if your site has covered a topic.

Pro tip: Until we create a better one, we recommend you check out the free audit template that Wordstream offers (no email required), but bookmark it for later because we’ve got more to cover. 

Look for gaps in the buyer’s journey

Review your content inventory and ensure you have content for every phase of the buyer’s journey. You want to capture them at early stages to build brand recognition and answer their questions as they move through the awareness, consideration, and decision-making stages. This helps you build engagement and prevents them from abandoning your site to find answers elsewhere. 

Here are ideas for filling in gaps at different stages:

• Awareness: High-level content providing background and context, such as blog posts, e-books, podcasts, and videos
• Consideration: Website content that distinguishes your business or shows benefits, such as case studies, white papers, testimonials, reviews, and product comparison pages
• Decision-making: Landing pages and offers that move customers toward conversion, such as free trials, free consultations, and discounts

Find gaps in content depth

Another common content void is the gap between your content and what’s available in the SERPs. You can try a couple of tactics to provide more substance to your readers.

• Analyze your content manually by reading through the top-ranking pages to see how they treat the topic. Make note of images, references, and other content assets they provide. Compare this to your content to see where you can enhance your offerings.
• Try using AI to dig up content ideas to enrich your existing content. For example, give ChatGPT a prompt such as, “Create an outline for an informational blog post about mortgage underwriting.” The platform will generate a response based on patterns in the massive amounts of text the platform has processed. Sift through the suggestions to see which ones can help you rework your article.

Identify holes in available content

For best results, provide unique content that can’t be found elsewhere. When you address the gap between what readers are interested in and what’s available in the SERPs, you’re improving value for readers and scoring points with Google’s helpful content system.

In a recent webinar about mastering content strategy (47:05), George Chasiotis, Managing Director of Minuttia, illustrated how businesses can creatively set their content apart and provide insight not found elsewhere. Discussing the importance of information gain, he suggests a business targeting the keyword “types of marketing” might survey 125 marketing executives for their thoughts. These insights can feed into a powerful piece of content based on proprietary data that no other company has. 

Review on-page SEO practices

In addition to topic coverage, look at each piece of content on your website to ensure it’s fully optimized. This can help lift your content in the SERPs.

Depending on the size of your website, you might narrow down page types, beginning with the ones that are most important to your core business.

Assess each web page for a mix of on-page SEO elements and overall readability. Here’s a checklist of some things to watch for:

• Compelling meta title and description
• Effective keyword placement
• Optimized schema markup
• Well-organized copy (clear headers, short sections and paragraphs, bullet points)
• Easy-to-grasp concepts (jargon-free)
• Recent statistics and research 
• Interesting images and graphics 

Pinpoint issues in SEO performance

It’s helpful to know how your current content is performing. Turn to Google Analytics or an SEO tool to identify where you’re ranking for keywords. Some pages may not be as visible as they could be and require some revamping.

• Prioritize pages that are ranking well but could use a little lift to crack the top positions. You’re doing something right on those pages, so they may simply require a few tweaks to get you to leapfrog the competition.
• Use an SEO tool such as Semrush to see where your competition might be experiencing a decline in keyword performance. As Nizam Uddin shares in our webinar about content gap analysis (55:10), Google has found a reason to downgrade these pages in the rankings, which opens the door for your optimized content to climb above them.

Uncover lost keyword opportunities

Finally, your competitors may be generating traffic for topics you haven’t covered on your website. If these topics are also important to your business model, you’ve just unearthed new ways of reaching your target audience. 

SEO tools can make quick work of keyword gap analysis, and you’ll find some recommended tools to explore further in the next section.

Monitor content performance

As you find opportunities to bolster your website, add them to your content optimization strategy. Once implemented, use a tool such as Google Analytics to track your progress in gaining a bigger share of the SERPs.

Your positioning will fluctuate over time as consumer behavior changes and new competitors enter the scene. Make sure you’re regularly looking for content marketing gaps to adapt to these shifts. 

Leveraging SEO Tools for Content Gap Analysis

Now that you’re inspired to supercharge your website, here are popular platforms you can leverage to find content gaps, along with use cases.

1. Ahrefs Content Gap for keyword gaps

Purpose: Compare your site with up to 10 competing sites to identify keywords your site is not ranking for. 

The Ahrefs Content Gap tool uncovers keyword opportunities by retrieving keywords that selected sites rank for in the top 100 positions. It then eliminates the keywords your site ranks for in the top 100. The resulting list is your keyword gap.

You can filter results to only provide keywords that all or some of your competitors rank for, which can indicate their importance. The report also provides search volume and keyword difficulty to help in your decision-making.

Don’t target a keyword simply because your competitor is, however. Make sure it’s relevant to your audience and fits your business goals before adding it to your content strategy.

To use the Content Gap Report for keyword gaps:

• Enter up to 10 domains you want to analyze.
• Enter your domain.
• Click “Show keywords”.
• Apply the intersections filter if you want keywords where all or some of your competitors rank. You can also filter by keyword difficulty, search volume, and word count.

2. Ahrefs Content Gap for topic gaps

Purpose: Compare your web page with competing pages to identify topics they cover but you do not.

Perhaps you want to revamp a page on your site that you feel isn’t performing to its potential. The Ahrefs Content Gap tool can analyze specific URLs to find topic gaps. You can use the results to find ideas for adding depth to your content and making it more useful and comprehensive for readers.

To use Content Gap for topic gaps:

• Enter up to 10 URLs for pages that you want to analyze, such as the top-ranking pages for the keyword.
• Enter the URL for your content.
• Click “Show keywords”.
• Apply the intersections filter if you only want keywords where all or some of your competitors rank. You can also filter by keyword difficulty, search volume, and word count.

3. Semrush Keyword Gap for missing and weak keywords

Purpose: Compare your site with up to four competing sites to find keywords you’re missing and weak keywords you can better optimize.

To use Keyword Gap:

• Visit the Semrush Keyword Gap tool.
• Enter your domain.
• Enter the domains of your competitors (or subfolders on the domain).
• Select “Organic keywords.”
• Click “Compare.”

How to use the results:

• Review the list of missing keywords, ones you don’t rank for but all the sites you entered do. Identify ones relevant to your business goals and audience, and consider incorporating them into your keyword strategy.  
• Toggle to view the list of weak keywords, ones you do rank for but lower than your competitors. For best results, target keywords where you’re just outside the coveted first page of search results and aim to optimize them to break into the top results.
• In the paid tool, you can also view untapped keywords, ones you don’t rank for but one of your competitors does. 

You can set filters to narrow your results:

• Ranking: See the most relevant opportunities by filtering for keywords where your competitors are ranking in the top 10, 20, or 50 positions.
• Search volume: Ensure reasonable traffic by filtering for search volume. You may want to aim for 100-300.
• Keyword difficulty: Consider filtering for easy keyword difficulty between 0 and 29% to rank more quickly.
• Intent: If you’re targeting certain stages of the buyer’s journey, specify informational, commercial, or transactional keywords.

4. Ubersuggest for content ideas

Purpose: Explore keywords related to a topic to find new ranking opportunities.

When you’ve found topics you’d like to tackle, Ubersuggest can generate keyword suggestions to help you shape and refine content ideas.

To use Ubersuggest:

• Visit the Ubersuggest home page.
• Enter a seed keyword.
• Click “search” to generate a list of keyword ideas.

For example, if you run a wellness website and see your competitors are ranking for searches related to turmeric health benefits, plug this term into Ubersuggest. You’ll see a variety of keyword suggestions, which you can distill into related keywords, question keywords, keywords with prepositions, and comparison keywords. 

You can also view search volume and SEO difficulty. You might decide “turmeric health benefits” is too competitive, but “health benefits of turmeric and black pepper” is a more realistic target.

Reap the Rewards of Content Strategy Optimization

Content gap analysis is the competitive edge that can elevate your site in the search engine results pages. By identifying digital spaces where your business isn’t visible (but should be) and improving content to provide a better user experience, you can improve SEO performance and drive high-quality traffic to your site. Reach out to Crowd Content, and find out how we can support your content strategy and production.

The post Mastering Content Gap Analysis: A Comprehensive Guide for Marketers appeared first on Crowd Content - Blog.

And all marketing is content.

• Video scripts
• Instagram images and captions
• Blog posts
• Landing pages
• Emails
• Search ads
• Radio and television ads
• Direct mail

Each of these is made of content — content that someone or some team created. 

No matter what your specific business or organizational goals are, if you have a message to put in front of an audience, you need people to create that content. Whether you turn to in-house talent or outsource content creation is up to you, but it’s critical to understand the costs before you make a decision.

Apples & Oranges: How to Successfully Compare the Cost of Freelancers With the Cost of Staff Writers

Before you can accurately assess costs — and cost-savings — it’s important to understand how to compare apples with oranges. 

For instance, if you pay an in-house writer $25 per hour and a freelancer 10 cents per word, how can you tell which is less expensive? 

It’s almost impossible to make this comparison when you’re talking about one small writing project. In fact, if all you need is one small writing project completed, you shouldn’t be making this comparison at all. Why hire an in-house employee for a single project when you can outsource it and be done with the expense once the project is over?

If you have ongoing content needs, however, it makes sense to crunch some numbers to determine what’s best for your budget. Here are a few tips for ensuring you do so accurately:

• Look at the big picture instead of costs for single projects. Think about what you would pay for content over the course of an entire year. It can be easier to compare a year’s worth of freelance content expenses to a year’s worth of payroll expenses than to compare hourly wages to freelance charges. 
• Include all the costs of employing someone. When calculating the cost of hiring in-house writers, consider more than what you pay them. Add in benefits, training expenses, and the costs of hiring. 
• Remember that you may have internal costs even when you work with freelancers. You may still need to manage freelancers, and if you work directly with writers, you might have to do edits and quality checks yourself. 

Average Cost of Hiring an In-House Writer

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, writers and authors make an average of $69,510 per year — or $33.42 hourly. 

However, “writers and authors” is a pretty big umbrella, and the average salary isn’t inclusive of all costs that an employer might pay when hiring someone. Let’s break this down a bit further so you can get a better idea of what it might cost for you to hire an in-house writer for your organization.

As you can see from the above table, a good estimate for the amount you may need to pay an in-house writer is $25 to $50 an hour, or around $50,000 to $115,000 per year.

However, you’ll also incur other costs if you hire full-time in-house staff. 

Estimated additional costs of hiring an in-house writer at $60,000 per year in the U.S.

Depending on the benefits you offer, you could end up paying $78,000 or more annually for a single in-house writer. A team of just five writers can cost $400,000 or more yearly. 

How Much Does it Cost to Hire a Freelancer?

Freelance writers offer services for a wide range of prices. They also charge for those services in a variety of ways, including:

• Hourly
• Per project
• Per page of copy, which is usually defined by an approximate number of words 
• Per word
• Per unit, such as per meta description or Instagram caption

Working directly with freelancers versus working with an agency or content company can also drastically impact how much you pay. 

What does it cost to work directly with a freelancer?

One option for working with freelance writers is to put out a job posting, accept resumes or applications directly from freelancers and choose some writers for contract work. 

In this scenario, you foot the bill for a variety of expenses, including:

• The cost to develop the job posting and market the listing
• The cost of training freelancers, which can include developing internal briefs, offering feedback and taking time to ensure freelancers understand any software or internal processes
• In-house employee labor expenses associated with managing the freelancer team — including assigning work, managing workflows, receiving work and any editing or feedback that might be necessary
• Paying freelancers for the work they do

What are some average freelance writer rates?

Here’s what the American Writers & Artist’s Institute suggests professional and experienced freelancers charge for various copywriting projects. 

Using these rates as a basic guide, let’s look at the cost of hiring freelancers directly to complete a website content writing project. For this hypothetical project, imagine that you need:

• New home page copy ($1,500)
• 30 new pages — a mix of high-quality sales pages and SEO pages ($10,000)
• 2 pillar posts — $1,000
• 10 blog posts — $3,000

The freelancer cost for your project would be $15,500. Add in internal costs associated with managing the freelancers, and the total costs could be $17,000 to $18,000 or more.

Of course, you might save money by hiring freelancers with much lower rates. However, as with any other service, you often get what you pay for. Freelancers with less experience or those that charge bottom-barrel rates may also increase how much internal effort you need to exert on a project, which can lead to increased internal costs that negate your savings.

How much does it cost to hire crowd content freelancers?

Crowd Content offers a wide range of pricing choices — and several ways to work with freelancers through our platform. 

Generally, pricing structures are per word. However, we can also accommodate flat pricing per piece and other structures to meet unique client needs. 

Pricing in our Marketplace is 3.5 to 15.8 cents per word. If you want our professional editors to proofread your copy before it’s delivered, you can add editing for 4 cents per word.  Our customer service reps can help you build strong writing and editing teams, but you generally manage those teams, so you may have some internal expenses associated with overseeing content. 

To understand how much high-quality 4-star content might cost with Crowd Content’s marketplace services, consider the table below.

You can also choose managed services and work with fully-managed content teams. Our content managers and production teams partner with clients to deliver publish-ready content, and they can take a lot of the burden off your internal teams. Managed services can include brief creation, editing and quality assurance, and management of large freelance teams, reducing some of your internal costs.  

Hiring In-House Writers, Directly Contracting With Freelancers, or Working With Crowd Content: Which Is More Cost-Effective?

Let’s look at another hypothetical situation to understand how much content might cost with each of these options.

In this scenario, a company needs around 250,000 total words of blog content per year (about 250 blog posts). It considers the following options:

• Hire one full-time in-house writer at an expense of around $80,000 total
• Contract with freelancers directly at an expense of $62,000 to $125,000 total
• Use Crowd Content’s 4-star marketplace writers and editors at an expense of around $49,750 plus any internal costs associated with managing workflows

Which Choice Is Right for Your Business?

A one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t exist here, so you need to consider your business needs, budget and how your team works best. Some teams need in-house support and collaboration more than cost-savings. Some companies don’t have any in-house resources for content creation and are happy to outsource everything. 

There isn’t a single right answer, though you can see from the numbers above that there’s definitely a more cost-effective answer. If you’re interested in those cost savings and how Crowd Content can help you drive them without downgrading the quality of your content, connect with us today.

The post The Cost of Hiring a Freelancer vs. an In-House Writer appeared first on Crowd Content - Blog.

Here’s a baker’s dozen’s worth of reasons to outsource your content marketing efforts in 2024.

1. Shave Expenses Off Your Bottom Line by Outsourcing Content Creation

Quality content can cost a pretty penny — or lots of pennies, really, when you consider forecasts that the content creation market will hit $53.6 billion by 2033. When you commission a blog or a white paper, you’re not just paying for words. You’re paying for the years those writers and editors spent perfecting their grammar, learning about SEO, and mastering various content types.

That said, outsourcing content still saves you considerable amounts of money, as contractors don’t come with the same costs associated with hiring in-house talent. You don’t need to give them a company computer, pay 401(k) and insurance, or cover their sick days.

2. Save Time for Other Must-Do Tasks

For most business owners and marketing department heads, 40-hour workweeks are the dream, not the reality. That’s especially true if you tackle content creation firsthand. From ideation to publishing, there’s an endless stream of tasks to complete.

If you outsource your content, you’ll free up your schedule to tackle those tasks only you can do, such as coaching your managers or pitching new ideas to the board.

3. Scale Content and Expand Your Content Calendar

When it comes to content, it can be difficult to balance quality and quantity. Most experts agree that frequent blogging and a steady stream of social media posts are better for connecting with consumers and engaging your audience. But pushing tons of poor-quality content isn’t the answer — it may even harm your business.Content outsourcing allows you to pull from a vast talent pool, generating high-quality content at whatever speed you need. Have you suddenly found yourself growing from a small start-up to a competitive, midsized enterprise? When you hire contract writers, they can churn out quality landing pages or blog posts at a lightning-fast pace.

4. Leverage Subject Matter Experts

Unless you’re ready to hire an entire stable of in-house writers, your team can’t possibly cover all the subjects you may want to reference as part of your overarching content strategy. Outsourcing with a company or platform that offers subject matter experts connects you with people who provide thought leadership and credentialed expertise in fields such as law, finance, health care, insurance, hospitality, and tech.

SMEs add significant value to your content by imbuing it with more authority and expertise. These days, Google craves trustworthy content written by experts. It’s a central aspect of the search giant’s E-E-A-T quality guidelines that prioritize experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness.

5. Mine Your Talent Pool for Fresh Ideas and Varied Viewpoints

We’ve already touched on some limitations of relying 100% on in-house writers, but here’s another factor to consider: People run out of ideas. Even the most innovative creatives stumble sometimes, and content written by a small team can start to drift toward sameness. In other words, ideas, phrasing, and even content structure can get staler than a month-old biscuit.

Outsourcing lets you switch up writers at will. You can create your own team of freelancers and release batches of content to the group as a whole, or ask for pitches and see which ideas are most exciting.

6. Publish Faster and More Efficiently

Outsourcing doesn’t always just involve contracting a writer. Editors, subject matter experts, and content managers play an essential role in the process. Choose the right platform and service options, and your content partner can handle everything from ideation to multistep quality assurance. That means you get deliverables that are error-free and publish-ready.

Eliminating the need to edit or peruse just-delivered content for accuracy allows you to fast-forward the production process. Assign work, switch focus to wherever you’re needed, and wait for the finished product to arrive.

7. Reach a Wider Audience

Subject matter experts and content pros can help you expand your audience, meaning more potential customers and theoretical dollars in your pocket.

Outsourcing boosts reach by:

• Giving you access to marketing agencies that can help you create a content calendar and ramp up distribution
• Assisting in creating multiple content types, which expands to email marketing, paid ads, social media posts, and B2B or B2C content such as white papers and case studies
• Giving you the experts you need so you can approach your niche from multiple angles

8. Experiment With Different Content Types

Speaking of different content types, do you know how many there are? Hint: There’s a lot, including:

• Blogs
• Testimonials and reviews
• Case studies
• E-books
• Videos
• Infographics
• White papers
• Guides and how-tos
• Scripts for podcasts, videos, speeches, and webinars
• Web copy
• Landing pages
• Product descriptions
• Buyer’s guides

Some writers dabble in multiple content types, while others only specialize in marketing copy or scripts. You can’t necessarily expect a blog writer to knock a case study out of the park, but you can outsource to a platform that has already vetted writers specializing in all types of content. That way, you’re covered no matter what.

9. Boost Your ROI

Getting a great return on your investment is crucial in marketing because you want to ensure you get back more than you put in. That way, you can reinvest in your business, ramp up content production, and build your brand, all without spending more of your budget than you initially intended.

We’ve already discussed how outsourcing content creation can reduce overhead and increase efficiency. It can also boost ROI by ensuring your content hits the target the first time, every time, so you don’t have to test out whether your favorite blogger can produce decent results with their first buyer’s guide. Instead, you draw from an already-vetted, well-managed group of writers who know how to make every word count.

10. Meet Goals Faster

Even the best content strategy takes time to execute and come to fruition. SEO doesn’t happen overnight, and neither does building a blog or revamping a website. 

Consistency counts, but so do quality and volume. You can win over your audience by crafting just one stellar blog a month and building your website over a year. But it’ll take that much longer for you to reach your objectives.

When you outsource content creation, you amplify your reach and grow your team overnight. It doesn’t matter that contracted writers aren’t actual employees or full-time workers. 

You’ll get the help you need when you need it, and that’s true whether you work with a single writer or a team of 100. You can generate a couple of quality blogs or hundreds of landing pages at the speed you need.

11. Enhance SEO and Rank Higher

With search engine optimization, you can determine how to structure your content and website to please Google’s algorithm — the enigmatic yet all-important equation that drives search rankings. Without SEO, you can’t expect to rank high on the search engine results pages, dampening your marketing efforts.

The thing is, keeping up with SEO updates can be a full-time job. Even the best writers in the world may be a step or two behind on SEO, which is why so many people work with agencies that specialize in optimization. But that means another contract, another bill to pay, and another step in the content creation process.

Instead, partner with a platform like Crowd Content that offers soup-to-nuts content creation services. Keywords, content briefs, writing, editing, QA — it can all be included. Choose what you need, and leave the details to the pros so you can get back to your to-do list.

12. Outsourcing Content Creation Helps Increase Authority

Publishing quality blogs reviewed by SMEs helps you become an established authority in your given niche. People who love a particular topic know when someone equally passionate wrote the content they’re reading. They also know when someone is just regurgitating basic facts. Which do you think resonates better?

Trust your content and your relationship with your audience to writers and SMEs who take your project seriously and have the credentials and portfolios to back it all up. Each piece of authoritative content will grow the overall authority of your domain.

13. Protect Your Reputation With Higher Quality Content

Poor-quality content is no joke. Content littered with typos, grammatical errors, and factual inaccuracies tanks your reputation and makes you less trustworthy in the eyes of consumers. You can’t afford to buy or create subpar content, and outsourcing can save you that headache 100 times over.

But what is quality content? Two articles can vary in so many ways yet still rise to the top of the search results. Ultimately, high-ranking content takes a person-first approach and includes insightful, authoritative information. 

This is easier if you outsource content production to an agency that follows an extensive content quality checklist through every step of the process.

What Are the Best Practices for Communicating With Outsourced Teams?

So, you’ve decided to take the plunge and expand your content creation efforts with outsourcing. But how do you communicate with your team of freelancers?

Communication shouldn’t be more complicated than it is with an in-house writing team, but outsourcing definitely creates a different dynamic. You can’t necessarily expect freelancers to be available to talk at any point during business hours like you would employees.

Instead, set clear expectations from the get-go, including regular check-ins and updates. Outline your preferred communication methods, whether those include email, calls, or platforms such as Teams and Slack, so your team knows how to contact you with questions or ideas.

Of course, time and optimization are the ultimate factors in outsourcing, and you can’t expect to get everything right on your first try. After the work is done, look for any improvements you can make to instructions, briefs, and communication, then offer detailed feedback for your writers to do the same. Content calibration lets you scale things up next time with even smoother results.

How Do You Monitor and Measure the Success of Outsourced Content?

Regardless of whether you’re working with an in-house team, hiring freelancers from across the ocean, or doing everything yourself, you need a way to measure the success of your content. It’s how you know when to scale up or cut your losses.

There are several tools you can use to track content performance, including free options such as Google Analytics and full-service marketing platforms that can become costly. As long as you can see how many views your content gets and observe the search rankings over time, that’s all you need to start.

Of course, you may eventually want to track user experience and engagement. Throw in a way to also assess the social media impact of your content, and you’re set for the future.

Budgeting and Investing for the Future

Outsourcing content creation may saves money over the long run — especially if your in-house team is finding it hard to keep your content supply flowing. However, content marketing offers slower returns than paid marketing streams, so you won’t see new leads immediately. Patience is key.

Over the weeks and months to come, the budget you invest in content marketing should establish trust, authority, and brand awareness for your business. High-quality content continues to attract new customers without much additional investment — something that can’t be said of pay-per-click marketing. 

Half of today’s marketers say they’re already outsourcing at least part of their content marketing workload, and this is one time you should follow the crowd. For more information on outsourcing or to see how Crowd Content can help you with your content marketing strategy, sign up for an account today.

The post 13 Reasons Why You Should Outsource Content Creation in 2024 appeared first on Crowd Content - Blog.

Cue the ghostwriter. These professional writers lurk behind the scenes and are invisible to audiences, but there’s nothing supernatural about them. Learn how ghostwriters deliver meaningful content on your behalf, putting an expert face on your company. We’ll fill you in on their role in content marketing and how you can leverage a ghostwriting service to raise your brand profile and build trust with audiences.

What Is Ghostwriting?

Ghostwriting is the practice of creating content that’s credited to someone other than the original writer. This process is common in book publishing, where public figures often hire professional writers to craft memoirs or autobiographies on their behalf.

With digital content playing an increasingly important role in brand marketing, many companies are hiring ghostwriters to produce online content. Thought leadership pieces, blog posts, articles, e-books and white papers are extremely valuable for raising brand awareness and establishing a company’s authority in a field.

These types of pieces can be attributed to senior leaders and executives or published as general website content. Think of ghostwriters as playing a similar role to speech writers shaping a keynote delivered by a CEO or publicists putting together quotes that appear in press releases. People want insights from those at the top and ghostwriters help get important ideas across in an expressive and compelling way.

Why Use a Ghostwriter?

Companies use content marketing to reach audiences and demonstrate authority in a niche. A smart thought leadership piece from your CEO, published in a respected industry journal, gives your company valuable exposure. It also helps develop the personal brand of senior executives and makes it easier for audiences to relate to your company.

However, while your leadership has plenty of wisdom to convey, they likely have more urgent work priorities. Ghostwriting gets your company’s expertise out to audiences when potential authors are too busy to devote hours to writing. It also makes sense to use professional writers to create copy, as the quality reflects directly on your company. It takes superior writing skills to produce highly polished, engaging content that also fits into your brand image.

When to Hire a Ghostwriter

If you have an in-house writing team, you can get started on your content marketing strategy right away. But some companies may not have staff writers or their team may be stretched thin on other projects.

In this case, you have a couple of options for ghostwriting.

• You can hire your own freelance writers to call on when needed, reviewing applications and vetting them to ensure their skills match your needs. You might have to try a few writers to find one that can hit the tone or style you’re looking for or that charge rates within your budget. Freelance writers tend to have a stable of clients, so you also need to make sure they’re available when you need content delivered in a timely fashion.
• You can use a ghostwriting service and tap into a group of writers with different backgrounds and areas of expertise. You can outsource an array of content, including blog posts, articles, opinion pieces, columns and e-books. And, with a large pool of freelancers, you’re usually assured of finding one who can turn content around quickly and meet deadlines. 

How to Work With Ghostwriters

If you’re investing resources in creating content, make sure your efforts pay off. Here are a few guidelines to ensure you receive impactful copy, whether using a ghostwriting service or your own freelancers.

Determine Goals

Set out the purpose of the piece so your team is working toward the same objective. Some examples of content goals are:

• Increasing brand awareness by publishing guest posts on other websites
• Boosting site traffic through blog posts you promote on social media
• Encouraging readers to download an e-book or white paper by teasing key highlights in a LinkedIn article
• Improving your search engine ranking by building an inventory of quality SEO content on your site

Once you know what your content should accomplish, set out a plan to achieve it.

Create a Content Brief

Provide the ghostwriter with as much detail as possible to guide their work. The more clarity you give, the more likely the final piece meets your expectations. Writers need details such as:

• Content objective. What should readers take away from the piece? What impression do you want to make?
• Context. Where will the piece be published?
• Topic. Outline key points to cover, including key information or data.
• Word count. Provide a range to give the writer some flexibility.
• Keywords. List primary and secondary keywords with placement guidelines.
• Links. Provide a list of the types of internal and external links to use.
• Tone. A good ghostwriter can capture different tones and styles. Provide direction to ensure the piece fits seamlessly into your brand voice.
• Formatting. Provide a link to your brand’s style guide or specify any preferences.

Collaborate If Needed

In most cases, ghostwriters with expertise in the subject can deliver accurate, well-researched content to meet your needs, whether in the area of finance, law, real estate, health or technology. 

For personal pieces, you may need to provide the writer with quotes and stories. For example, if you want to publish an article by the company founder about the early years of the business, you’ll need to conduct an interview and gather necessary anecdotes. Let the ghostwriter know the type of personality or language to infuse into the piece if you want it to reflect the personal brand of a CEO or executive.

Implement a Review Process

Content marketers talk a lot about demonstrating authority, which is important for establishing credibility and respect. Authority helps persuade customers to do business with you and gives search engines confidence in placing your site higher in search engine rankings. 

To establish authority and achieve brand goals, your content must be impeccable in quality. It’s good practice to ensure the content is reviewed for accuracy, either by your in-house team or ghostwriting service.

• Editors ensure logic, flow and style
• Proofreaders look for grammar and spelling errors
• Subject matter experts review for content and accuracy
• Editorial directors or content strategists ensure the piece meets corporate goals

The person receiving the byline should also review the piece for voice and to ensure they agree with the contents.

Benefits of Hiring a Ghostwriting Service

Ghostwriting services can be a cost-effective solution when you don’t have in-house resources to devote to content creation. Here are some benefits of outsourcing to an agency such as Crowd Content.

High-Quality Professional Copy

Content marketing is highly competitive. According to Semrush’s 2023 State of Content Marketing survey, 53% of content marketers are focusing on improving content quality and 55% are creating more content and posting more often.

As standards increase and competition ramps up, your content needs to stand out to make an impression. Professional ghostwriters can transform your content strategy into well-structured, compelling copy that reflects positively on your brand, captures attention and motivates readers toward your goals.

Maximize Productivity

Content creation can be time-consuming, but a ghostwriting service offers a pool of writers ready to produce articles, blog posts and other content to meet your needs. You can leverage this talent and use ghostwriters to execute your full content strategy. By planning an editorial calendar with deadlines and scheduling regular delivery of content to publish, you can grow your online presence quickly and effortlessly. 

Better Online Visibility

The more quality content you create, the better your chances of reaching your target audience. Each web page is a fresh opportunity to rank in search engines and drive audiences to your page through social media, marketing emails and internal linking.

You can also build important backlinks to your web pages from other sites, which Google sees as an endorsement of the value of your content. These backlinks improve your site’s authority and search engine ranking.

Save Time and Money

Crowd Content’s flexible pricing makes outsourcing cost-effective. Freelancers are prescreened according to experience so you can build a team that suits your budget. You can access thousands of writers with different specialties without the hassle of vetting each one and negotiating individual rates. 

Our ghostwriters fit into your workflow as needed. If you have a specific vision, provide an in-depth outline and writers will follow your instructions. If you prefer to be hands-off, offer general direction about the topic and trust our skilled writers to develop and produce a compelling article on your behalf at the same standardized per word rate.

Need to add more than a writer to your team? Tap into editors, subject matter experts, keyword researchers and content managers, taking more tasks off your to-do list.Whether you want a high-profile article under your CEO’s byline or snappy content to perk up your website or blog, our ghostwriting services make content production simple and efficient. Find out how to get started today and put your content strategy into action.

The post How Ghostwriters Help You Conjure Up the Right Words appeared first on Crowd Content - Blog.

Created Helpful, Relevant Content

You know the old saying: content is king.

We’d like to propose a slight alteration — quality content is king.

The content-marketing sphere is crowded, and competition is steep. If you want to rank on the first page of the search results, you’ll need to meet higher standards.

In 2022, the most successful content writing agencies rose to the occasion by producing helpful, relevant content. They focused on fulfilling search intent and ensuring that each piece was the best possible resource on the topic.

The focus on quality will intensify in 2023 as Google rolls out an update to its Search Quality Rater Guidelines. The traditional E-A-T framework is now E-E-A-T: experience, expertise, authoritativeness and trust. That’s good news for both brands and content writers; it means that for many topics, Google will consider personal experience when assessing the quality and trustworthiness of a page.

To improve quality and relevance, content writers are:

• Producing original content. It’s no longer enough to regurgitate the ideas in the highest-ranking pages; your content must add substantial value.
• Choosing helpful formats. Select the format that’s most useful for your audience, whether that’s written content, video, audio or a combination.
• Write for people. Create comprehensive content that’s geared toward people rather than the Google algorithm.

As programs such as ChatGPT flood the internet with AI-generated content, originality is more important than ever. Search engines are developing algorithms to detect and penalize AI content, so publishers can thrive in the long run by bringing human-centered value to the online space.

Doubled Down on Written Content

Short-form video has been the star of the content world over the past few years, but 2022 saw a shift toward a more balanced approach. As brands recognized the longevity and power of written content — and the value of owning a platform rather than relying on the whims of a third-party service — content writing services began producing more long-form pieces.

In this latest iteration of lengthy web articles, the “more is more” ideology is a thing of the past. The best content writers aren’t aiming for the longest possible word count; they’re covering a topic in-depth and creating comprehensive, evergreen resources that maximize time on page, minimize bounce rate and send positive signals to Google.

Written content will expand in 2023 as companies look for ways to increase content and audience ownership. Expect to see an increase in ebooks, white papers and other lead magnets that provide value and build engaged mailing lists.

Found New Ways To Personalize Content

Personalization was one of the biggest website content trends in 2022. Writers took steps to connect with readers on a personal level. Driven by extensive keyword and audience research, they created:

• Content that resonates deeply with the ideal customer’s emotions and state of mind
• Topics that correspond to each part of the sales funnel or customer journey
• Calls to action that speak directly to the reader’s immediate needs and pain points

Content intelligence programs are poised to revolutionize the personalization process in 2023 and beyond. Brands and content writing agencies are already using these data-intensive programs to predict the type, topic and format of content that will work best for specific audience segments. AI-driven systems also deploy custom calls to action in real time and trigger specific communication sequences in response to customer signals.

As intelligence platforms become more accessible, SEO content writing services will help brands take full advantage of the technology. This year, expect to see more writers using AI-generated insights and optimization suggestions to create precisely targeted content for specific buyer personas.

Embraced a Broader Content Strategy

The focus on personalization gave way to another content-writing success of 2022: diversification. The best writing services realized that when building lasting connections with a broad range of readers, it’s not enough to rely on a single type of content. They encouraged clients to branch out to a variety of formats, including:

• Informative articles
• How-to guides
• Marketing emails
• Infographics
• Ebooks
• Product reviews
• Case studies
• Videos
• Podcasts
• Social media posts

The most successful content strategies in 2023 will use a mix of formats and topics, particularly for brands marketing to a diverse demographic. The goal is to provide value for audience members at every stage of the journey, whether they need a quick infographic overview or a detailed troubleshooting guide.

Encouraged Niche Topic Selection

Every SEO content writer is familiar with the idea of “niched down” content — media that addresses the needs of a specific audience segment. This type of highly focused content was key in 2022 as brands sought ways to differentiate themselves from competitors.

Niche content is here to stay, especially as more players enter the content-marketing game. Customers are overwhelmed with choices, both for the content they consume and the brands they patronize. Writing services that provide precise keyword selection and target specific queries can help you attract engaged, loyal customers.

Looking back at 2022, it’s clear that content is evolving. Gone are the days of general, broad-focus writing; in 2023, top website content writing services will embrace topics that are tailored to specific profiles and scenarios to help clients succeed.

The post What Content Writing Services Did Right in 2022 appeared first on Crowd Content - Blog.

What Is Content Intelligence?

Content intelligence is the practice of using software — typically, programs powered by AI and machine learning — to predict impactful content types and topics, generate optimized content and measure the performance of published pieces. Intelligence insights make it easier to develop a refined, highly targeted content marketing strategy that resonates deeply with your ideal customer. The process also helps you allocate resources effectively, boosting ROI for SEO content writing services, video, social media, influencer marketing and other tactics.

How Can Marketing Firms Use Content Intelligence?

Content plays a vital role in many companies’ marketing strategies. That’s no surprise, given that globally, content marketing brought in $63 billion in revenue in 2022. By 2026, experts believe this figure will reach $107.5 billion.

As more people enter the content space, marketers must step up their games — which is where content intelligence comes in. A data-driven strategy provides critical benefits that give your business a competitive advantage.

Develop More Effective Content Plans

Traditionally, marketers implement content strategies, analyze the results and make adjustments accordingly. Content intelligence tools streamline this process by providing insights up front and eliminating costly, time-consuming trial and error.

The magic lies in the data. Intelligence platforms draw from a vast digital pool of competitor information, behavioral data and market research to help you:

• Identify topics that your audience will respond to
• Predict the most effective channel and type of content
• Choose the best-performing format for any given channel or objective
• Set a competitive publishing schedule
• Create appropriate content for every stage of the customer journey
• Determine when to outsource content to a white paper writer or another freelancer

Create Compelling Content

Content is expensive, and marketing budgets are limited. Content intelligence platforms help creators and content writers get it right on the first try, which minimizes revision requirements and compresses the publishing schedule. As a result, you can produce high-performing content quickly and at scale while keeping labor costs in check.

Many tools go well beyond keyword research; they suggest relevant topics and subheaders, recommend style adjustments and generate click-worthy headlines. If you’re creating videos or podcasts, intelligence software can tell you where to place calls to action to boost conversions. Some programs can even use AI to monitor user behavior and display a call to action when audiences are most receptive.

Analyze Content Performance

Content intelligence tools begin analyzing your content from the moment you hit the publish button. The steady stream of real-time data enables you to change course quickly to maximize performance and improve ROI. When a specific ad performs poorly, you can adjust the wording and see the results immediately.

As your chosen platform learns more about your audience and content performance, it can deliver customized recommendations for each of your marketing objectives.

Consistent analytical data enables more efficient spending, both in the short and long term. If you notice that customers engage with long-form content but ignore social media, for example, you might invest in a professional white paper writer but ease up on Facebook and Instagram.

Personalize Digital Experiences

Personalization is a growing trend among content marketers, and for good reason — McKinsey research shows that 71% of customers expect it. Successful companies tailor the entire customer experience to the user’s needs. This might include:

• Recommending relevant products or content
• Customizing messaging to match the buyer profile
• Offering personalized promotions based on shopping or browsing history
• Sending follow-up communication

The right content intelligence system helps you identify and capitalize on these key opportunities. Many programs use automation to get relevant content in front of customers when they need it most; the system monitors behavioral triggers and initiates a predetermined action on the fly, all with no input from you.

Understand Your Customers

A steady stream of intelligence data gives you a better understanding of the people who are consuming your content. This critical information is essential in developing detailed customer profiles — in fact, some tools can segment the audience for you based on demographics, purchase history or behavioral metrics. To refine each profile, you can run split-tests and content experiments that clarify user preferences and search intent.

A deep understanding of your audience informs every aspect of the marketing process, enabling the team to develop content that fulfills searcher intent. It also provides valuable insights for other aspects of the business, including development and sales.

How to Choose a Content Intelligence Platform

Content intelligence platforms can come with a high price tag and a considerable learning curve; it’s worth your time to research different options to find a solution that works for your business and your budget.

1. Identify your goals. Consider your short-term and long-term business objectives. Use them to identify what you need most in a content intelligence tool, both now and in the future. A comprehensive platform might have higher up-front costs, but it will prepare your company to tackle aggressive growth goals.
2. Verify data options. A powerful content intelligence program should offer customer, market and competitor data, both historically and in real time. Examine the company’s data-collection practices to ensure that your team has the capacity to manage the process. While you’re at it, look through the available reporting options.
3. Check features. Make sure each contender has robust features that can help your company improve and scale content production. Top options include AI-powered content creation tools, automations, experiments and AI-driven insights and optimizations.
4. Consider compatibility. Go through the different integrations the platform offers and ensure they’re compatible with your existing tech stack and any planned expansions. You can also check the provider’s other solutions to see how they might suit your growth objectives; programs from the same company are often easier to implement than third-party solutions.
5. Test platforms thoroughly. Before you commit, test your chosen platform, paying attention to ease of navigation, the setup process for each feature and day-to-day operation. Try all support channels and ask questions about the initial integration.

If you’re planning to invest heavily in content marketing in the coming years, a content intelligence platform could be a valuable investment. The right program can offer data-driven insights for revenue-boosting content that supports your company’s growth goals.

The post What Is Content Intelligence & How Does It Work? appeared first on Crowd Content - Blog.

A technical writer helps make complex topics understandable, so you can effectively deliver information to employees, colleagues and customers. For many companies, particularly those in the technology, scientific or medical space, this can mean the difference between success and failure.

So, can technical writing benefit you? To answer that question, let’s take a deeper dive into what technical writing is and why it’s so important in certain industries and departments.

What Is Technical Writing?

Technical writing aims to make the complex simple. It’s a form of written or digital communication that documents specific processes or imparts information about complex or specialized subjects with a high level of accuracy and in the most efficient way possible. For example, technical writing may deliver research findings, forecast or analyze industry trends or provide instructions for difficult tasks. If you’ve ever had to create a user guide or assembly instructions, you’ve used technical writing skills.

Technical writing often targets a narrow audience consisting of industry professionals, such as engineers, doctors or scientists. However, content may also be aimed at a general audience, which often includes users of a product or service. In the latter case, technical writing must present complex topics in a way that even a layman can understand. 

Who Needs Technical Writing?

STEM-related industries, including scientific or medical organizations and computer-related companies, often hire technical writers to create product documentation, operator manuals and other instructional materials to help employees and customers understand complex topics and to teach them how to execute technical tasks. Additionally, technical writing is important in the management space, particularly in industries that must deliver complex quarterly or annual financial reports.

However, any business that needs to share accurate or complex information with their employees, customers or other industry professionals, can benefit from technical writing services. For example, a restaurant may require training materials to help new staff learn to use kitchen equipment, or a furniture manufacturer may need to provide assembly instructions with their products.

How Does Technical Writing Work?

There’s no universal formula for technical writing. The process can vary widely depending on the type of content, the targeted audience and the industry. However, regardless of type, most technical writing involves several stages:

1. Defining the content: Typically, the person who orders the content lets the writer know what tone, writing style and difficulty level they should aim for. Writers should also know the target audience and its needs. In some cases, technical writers may have a say in choosing the best medium for the message or audience.
2. Gathering resources: A technical writer should have access to all relevant resources, which may include item specifications, research data and product samples.
3. Consulting with relevant experts: Often, technical writers work directly with technical staff, product liability specialists and customer service managers to ensure the content they create is as clear and accurate as possible, complies with safety regulations and meets any other organizational requirements.
4. Creating the content: Technical writers may write text from scratch or update existing content to meet new or changing needs, or to address revised product specifications or corrected information. Content creation may also involve incorporating visual elements, such as photos, illustrations, graphs or animation to enhance clarity and comprehensibility.

What Are the Characteristics of Technical Writing?

Although technical writing spans a continuum of written and digital content, high-quality examples typically share several common characteristics:

• Accuracy: The main goal of technical writing is to convey information, so it must be accurate. Incorrect, vague or outdated information can result in costly mistakes, lost customers and, in extreme cases, legal action.
• Thoroughness: To be effective, technical writing must be thorough and comprehensive. It should address all relevant aspects of the topic and may include visual accompaniments to complement written text.
• Logic: Technical writing must make sense, so actionable steps are easy to follow. It should never include contradictory information or gaps in logic that could diminish authority or credibility.
• Sequence: Technical writing embodies the philosophy of one step at a time. Particularly in operator guides and other “how-to” instructional materials, writers should make sure all steps are listed in the order they must be performed.
• Organization: Readers don’t want to skip around to find important information. Technical writers should present the material in a well-organized, intuitive fashion.
• Economy: Because technical writing is meant to inform or instruct, every word matters, and text should include no wasted words. If you can convey information sufficiently in 50 words, don’t use 75.
• Audience appropriateness: Technical writing may target different audiences. The complexity and style of writing should be appropriate for the intended audience. For example, technical writing aimed at a general user should be substantially different in tone, vocabulary and style from writing aimed at engineers or other technical professionals.

What Are the Different Types of Technical Writing Services?

Depending on the industry and a company’s unique needs, technical writing can take many forms. Although the applications are numerous, common types of technical writing services include:

• Case studies: These in-depth studies may focus on individuals, groups or events.
• Assembly manuals: Step-by-step assembly guides show consumers how to safely and correctly put together a product.
• User guides/user manuals: These guides provide comprehensive information about operating a product or using a service.
• Product specifications: Spec sheets highlight features and functions of an item. They may include dimensions, materials and safety specifications.
• FAQs: Often used on websites, FAQs answer frequently asked questions about products and services.
• White papers: These informational documents typically highlight information about a product, service or solution
• Quarterly or annual reports: These public-facing reports summarize a company’s financial statements. They typically include a profit-and-loss statement.
• API documentation: API documents typically include tutorials, references, tutorials and other materials that help developers understand and use your application programming interface.
• Statements of work: These legally binding documents define the scope of a project. They may include a project’s goals, deliverables and schedule.
• Literature reviews: These documents summarize previous research and scholarly sources on a given topic.
• Technical video scripts: Scripts may be written for television, radio, Internet or podcast.

How Technical Writing Skills Differ From Copywriting Skills

Both technical writers and copywriters must be able to write clear, readable content, but they differ in many areas. Copywriters need to create engaging, marketing-focused content that drives sales, while technical writers deliver objective instructional or informative content designed for employees, customers and industry professionals.

Besides knowing how to write well, technical writers often have a specialized skill set, which includes experience in or knowledge of the topic they’re writing about. In many cases, technical writers must be able to distill complex information into language that the general population can understand. They must also be able to share, discuss and understand the information received from technical professionals about a given subject. Because of this, technical writers often start out in technical or scientific jobs. In some industries, technical writers may need to hold a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field of study.

A Comparison of Copywriting, Business Writing and Technical Writing

It’s worth noting that many projects, such as video scripts or trade magazine articles, may combine elements of two or more types of writing. 

How Technical Writing Services Can Benefit You

Whether you lack the resources to hire a full-time technical writer or you just want to leave the writing to someone else, outsourcing technical writing services can help your company gain the competitive edge. No matter how big or small your business is, you can acquire the top-notch instructional materials you need through Crowd Content. 

Through Crowd Content’s world-class content writing services, you can order spec sheets, technical manuals and any other written documentation your business needs. Many of our dedicated, professional freelancers are subject matter experts and have the experience and expertise to create engaging, copy in technical areas, such as computer science and engineering. 

When you work with Crowd Content, you’ll receive publish-ready, SEO-rich content that drives organic traffic to your website while meeting your company’s high standards. We can also accommodate any requirements you have regarding style and format, including citations, to cement your industry reputation. So, if your latest white paper or e-book is still nothing more than notes, leave the writing to Crowd Content and rest easy.

The post Simplifying the Complex: Why Technical Writing Matters appeared first on Crowd Content - Blog.

At first glance, it does seem like consumers are growing more cynical. But examine the results of the Havas study more closely and it’s clear that there’s more to the story than disappearing brands and brooding consumers. The study also found that consumers are starving for brands that truly make a difference — ones they can trust.

Trust is a difficult thing to earn, and it’s easy to lose — for finance brands especially. But this makes it that much more important to stand out from the competition with content that provides real value and builds a foundation of undeniable credibility. 

And it all starts with a copywriter. A finance copywriter, to be exact.

Financial Copywriting, Defined

A financial copywriter is one that specializes in writing engaging content, advertising and other forms of text media for finance products, services, institutions and brands. The intent is to communicate complex financial subjects through clear, engaging content that audiences easily understand. This content educates, engages and persuades audiences by providing them with valuable information and insights on topics of finance. 

There are different types of financial copywriting with varying goals. For example, in writing copy for a brochure or white paper covering a specific financial product, a copywriter focuses on selling and persuasion by providing clear, in-depth information about the product while highlighting its benefits.

Meanwhile, on the web, finance copywriters often write content for brand publications. The goal is to build trust with an audience through educational and informational content that provides value to readers. 

The Difference Between Financial Copywriting and Other Types of Copywriting

Financial copywriting and other copywriting services share some similarities in that both are forms of persuasive writing aimed at communicating a specific message to a target audience. Which is to say, both are aimed at achieving a specific goal, whether that goal is brand awareness or a specific action.

Copywriting in general requires clarity of thought and an engaging style that keeps people reading. It relies on voice and tone to capture attention and storytelling to hold this focus.

Why Financial Copywriting Requires Experience

Financial content is difficult to write well. It’s hard to write warmly when you’re talking about risk profiles or macroeconomics. It takes a good amount of skill and practice to translate statistics and complexity into human language that lands with an audience. 

Half of the equation comes from writing talent. Great copywriters can reduce an intimidating topic into its constituent parts without diluting the details. And they can infuse these parts with crackling energy that ignites engagement. This ability is the essence of great writing, and in domains like tech and finance, it’s a must.

The other half is the requisite knowledge and expertise to write about complex financial concepts. This usually comes from some combination of hands-on industry experience and a degree in finance or economics. 

Put simply, a great financial copywriter is comfortable writing about:

• Banks and credit unions: Internal processes, operations and the regulations associated with these institutions 
• Brokerages: How they work, the services they provide and investment opportunities along with the associated risks and benefits
• Financial services: Economics, investments, risk profiles, money management and legislation

Finance is a vast industry, and many writers specialize. A traditional finance copywriter might not be well acquainted with fintech concepts such as blockchain tech and cryptocurrencies. 

The bottom line is that success doesn’t only come from good writing — it’s good writing with a deep well of knowledge beneath it that provides valuable insights, builds trust and fosters lasting relationships with an audience. 

The Risk of Inaccuracies in Finance Copywriting

Factually inaccurate copywriting is costly on several fronts. First off, if you’re giving your audience advice that leads to poor personal financial results, it tarnishes your brand’s reputation. And a brand is nothing if not its reputation. On top of this, there are regulatory concerns. 

If you work in finance, you’re probably familiar with organizations like FINRA. What you might not know is that content produced for your brand’s blog has the same strict requirements as a letter sent to a customer. In other words, unless you like incurring big fines for your business, you need a good finance copywriter.

Google’s E-A-T

Beyond existential marketing and expensive regulatory concerns, bad finance copywriting can cripple your brand’s web presence. When Google and other search engines discover low-quality content on a site, they penalize these sites, burying them in search rankings. 

Thankfully, Google is perfectly clear on what it deems low quality. Its standard for evaluating content is referred to as E-A-T. As part of the search giant’s ranking algorithm, E-A-T measures a site’s:

• Expertise. Industry-specific content should be authored by industry experts with the appropriate skills and knowledge. 
• Authority. Websites should be reliable information sources, with a reputation for informational accuracy.
• Trustworthiness. Websites should be honest and transparent, dedicated to avoiding any kind of misleading information. 

It’s in Google’s best interest to provide quality content to those searching the web. Websites that adhere to E-A-T principles are rewarded with higher and higher rankings. Those that don’t are penalized.

Meanwhile, brands in finance are held to an even higher standard. Google uses a classification called Your Money or Your Life, which categorizes sites with the potential to impact a reader’s health or finances. Because the search giant considers these far more impactful than other sites, it penalizes them more severely for low-quality content. 

The Bottom Line: You Need Subject Matter Experts

All things considered, it’s clear that there’s only one real option for any brand that wants to rise above this era of mistrust: subject matter expert.

Subject matter experts are those with specific industry expertise, which allows them to ensure complex industry topics are written with authority and deep insight. 

Copywriters with financial expertise can craft informative and transparent content that best represents your brand while avoiding regulatory concerns and search penalties — and this translates into more value for your company and your audience.

Find the Best Finance SMEs at Crowd Content

If your brand needs financial content that delivers results, it needs copywriters with finance expertise. If you want to gain and retain your audience’s trust, consider Crowd Content’s team of expert freelance writers for your business’s content and copywriting. Our core team of subject matter experts across finance and tech has helped create millions of words worth of compelling prose for brands who want to build lasting authority. If you’re ready to ease the existentialist dread of audience apathy, get in touch with us today.

The post Expert Finance Copywriting: The Salve for Audience Apathy appeared first on Crowd Content - Blog.

When it comes to written content, however, Google tells brands exactly how to rank well: adhere to its search quality guidelines. They emphasize expertise, authoritativeness and trustworthiness in content. Referred to as E-A-T for short, these suggestions represent critical aspects of Google’s ranking algorithm, and content that adheres to them receives favor in the form of higher placement on search results. But how Google evaluates sites has evolved yet again. In December 2022, the company updated its E-A-T guidelines with an additional word, emphasizing experience. Content creators must now consider an element of expertise when producing or writing certain

What Is E-E-A-T?

If you’re in the content or marketing industry, you’re probably already familiar with E-A-T. Google created E-A-T to provide guidance to those who author and produce content. For the last few years, these recommendations have remained fairly stable. But with the addition of experience, Google has made a significant change.

For Google, the addition of experience is all about giving more weight to content created by authors with hands-on experience. The reasoning is that, when people are searching the web for information or advice, they likely want to hear from someone that’s “been there, done that.” 

As Elizabeth Tucker says on the Google Search Blog, “There are some situations where really what you value most is content produced by someone who has first-hand, life experience on the topic at hand.” 

How Is E-E-A-T Different From the Old E-A-T?

Before the addition of the experience factor, sites were evaluated and ranked according to the authority and expertise of the authors that produced the site’s content. In turn, these factors were measured on the basis of quality, depth, accuracy and reliability. Google also considered the trustworthiness of the site the content is published on. 

This all still carries the same weight it did before. A website’s trustworthiness and the authority and expertise of the author still matter. But now Google will give bonus points to content that’s written by those with hands-on experience. 

A travel blog written by a traveler was the example given earlier. Other examples could be a nurse who writes about nursing or a product reviewer who has actually used the product they’re reviewing. In these examples, you can see why Google wants to give first-hand experiences more weight and higher rankings in its search engine. 

Is E-E-A-T a New Ranking Factor?

There are a lot of unknowns about how Google generates search results, so this isn’t an easy question. The search giant’s algorithm is an infamous black box, and the ranking factors it uses are a mystery to all but a privileged few — which means it’s impossible to know what the exact ranking factors are and when they were added. While there isn’t an E-E-A-T score in Google’s algorithm — at least as far as anyone knows — the guidelines are representative of how the company’s algorithm ranks websites. 

You can think of E-E-A-T as a set of instructions that’s been translated from an algorithm into English. Even though some details are lost in translation, the overall message is plain and simple: High rankings in search require great content that’s written by experts with first-hand experience and published on trustworthy websites. 

How Google’s Algorithm Evaluates E-E-A-T

Google’s algorithm evaluates sites by weighing a combination of signals from the site itself as well as the content. While Google doesn’t share specifics on its ranking algorithm, it’s very clear about the quality it expects to rank highly.

In terms of experience, Google evaluates an author according to their reputation, credentials and ability to provide unique insights and perspectives on the topic they’re writing about.

Meanwhile, the rest of the E-A-T guidelines remain the same:

• Expertise. Google evaluates the author’s expertise in the field they’re writing about, including their qualifications, experience and skills. This can be determined by analyzing the author’s bio, credentials and other relevant information.
• Authority. The authoritativeness of a website or page is determined by its reputation, popularity and the quality of its content. Google considers factors such as the number of links pointing to the website, the quality of those links and the relevance of the content to the search query.
• Trustworthiness. The trustworthiness of a website is evaluated by considering factors such as its history, privacy policy and contact information. Google also looks at the website’s engagement metrics, such as the number of comments and shares, to gauge its level of trust.

It’s important to note that Google’s E-E-A-T guidelines are made specifically for content, not any other factors, such as design or user experience.

Adjusting Content Strategies to Accommodate E-E-A-T

For content creators, marketers and SEO professionals, keeping up with evolving search requirements can seem like a lot of work. But Google makes the changes it does for very good reasons. It’s in the company’s best interest to provide relevant, high-quality content to the people searching the web. Here are three ways you can start doing this:

• Focus on quality. Focusing on creating the best content possible helps rankings considerably. Writing for a search query is useful on occasion, but if it’s at the expense of providing value to the user, it’s not helping your strategy. 
• Engage your audience. Engagement from users keeps them returning and signals to Google that people value a site. Content should be authoritative and informational, but it should leave room for a conversation. 
• Share credentials. Sharing an author’s credentials with content written by them tells Google that the content is informed by those with expertise and hands-on experience. Adding links to the author’s personal site and LinkedIn account reinforces this statement.

Meanwhile, brands that operate in specialized industries such as finance, technology, law and health will benefit immensely from subject matter experts with first-hand experience.

Add the Edge of Experience to Your Content Strategy

If you’re looking for a competitive edge that pushes your site to new highs in search rankings, you’ve found it. Crowd Content helps leading brands engage with their audience and expand their reach through high-quality content authored by the best freelance writers in the industry. The Crowd Content Marketplace offers easy access to talented copywriters and subject matter experts from every industry that can help you craft content of every kind. For more robust solutions, Crowd Content’s Managed Services help brands that need content at scale without sacrificing a word’s worth of quality. Whether you need a single white paper or thousands of pages worth of website copy, Crowd Content is ready to deliver.

The post Google’s Updated Guidelines: E-A-T and a Serving of Experience appeared first on Crowd Content - Blog.

Get some tips for writing strong copy in this niche below. 

What Is Real Estate Copywriting?

Real estate copywriting refers to the process of creating compelling copy that promotes a house, property or real estate business. The process involves writing headlines, property descriptions, marketing and sales copy and other types of content that support the goals of a real estate business or are related to the industry.

Some examples of real estate content include:

• Home listings
• Blog posts from real estate agents
• SEO pages for real estate companies
• White papers about the housing market
• Email marketing to support townhome rentals 

Best Practices For Real Estate Copywriting to Sell Properties

The right type of content can help properties get found online by potential homebuyers. Property descriptions and other real estate copywriting can help sell homes, but the competition can be fierce. According to the National Association of Realtors, more than 5.6 million existing homes were sold in 2020 alone, and another 822,000 newly constructed homes were sold the same year. 

With so many homes on the market, your listings and other content must stand out. Here’s how to make that happen.

1. Write Client-Facing Content

When you put the target audience first, you’re able to imagine the kinds of things they want to learn about a property. Think about who might be most interested in a property and write the property description and any other copy related to it with that audience in mind.

For example, a small cottage that might be right for a young professional would have a completely different sounding description than a four-bedroom house in a great school district that might catch the eye of a growing family. Obviously, you never know who might buy a house, but when you understand the most likely target market, you can write more successful real estate copy.

2. Draw Readers in With Attention-Grabbing Headlines

Today’s consumers are conditioned by the immediate-gratification, fast-paced environment of the internet—which is, incidentally, where most people may come across real estate copy and property descriptions. Someone searching for a home to buy is likely to click away within seconds if the listing doesn’t grab their attention.

Obviously, pictures are worth a thousand words, so your listings must include compelling, helpful images of the property. But your headline should also capture viewer interest. Use descriptive language that immediately tells the person why they might be interested in the property.

3. Tell a Story to Support Engagement

According to cognitive psychologist Dr. Jerome Bruner, stories are 22 times more memorable than basic facts are on their own. Don’t simply fill a property listing with the facts and figures related to the property. Use story-telling tactics to make the property stick in the minds of potential buyers. 

Some ways you can use story to create a more engaging and memorable experience include:

• Including the history of a property if it’s emotionally compelling or especially unique
• Converting property improvements into a narrative format—such as telling how the previous owner used his own artistic experience to inform a structure or how one family made the decision to add a new room
• Hinting at the stories that might play out for those who buy the home, such as children growing up in the neighborhood or the family enjoying the pool in the backyard

4. Paint a Vivid Picture With Descriptive Language and Use Cases

The worst thing you can be when creating real estate copy is inaccurate. Saying a home has five bedrooms when it has three or getting the utility types wrong can cause a potential buyer to balk later. Plus, it’s just not professional and breeds distrust in the target audience.

The second worst thing you can be in real estate copywriting is boring. Use active, description language that paints a picture of the property rather than simply listing things. Include use cases to keep the user engaged and help them see themselves in the property. For example:

• Boring: Modernized farm-style kitchen with stove, refrigerator, dishwasher, island. Butcher block countertops, plenty of cabinets and a full pantry.
  
• Better: This up-to-date farm-style kitchen features all the amenities required for modern cooking with plenty of space for larger projects like bread baking and canning. The butcher block countertops are easy to clean, and they’re also included on the large central island, so the entire family can get involved in meal prep without stepping on each other’s toes. An extra-large refrigerator offers plenty of cold food storage and a full pantry provides space for ample dry goods. The gas stove and dishwasher enhance convenience in this kitchen. 

5. Get Inspiration From Other Listings

While you never want to steal words directly from other listings, there’s nothing wrong with giving the competition a peek. Search for other listings that are similar to yours and see what type of language is used. You can also see what specific features are highlighted, which can help you know what might be of interest on the property you’re describing. 

6. Don’t Forget the Power of Feature/Benefit Marketing Copy

Whenever possible, couple features with benefits in your real estate copywriting. This helps potential home-buyers see why they might want a certain amenity. For example, instead of saying a house has a gas-logs fireplace, you might say “Gas-logs fireplace provides a cozy ambiance on cold mornings, helps you manage electric heating costs, and ensures a backup heat source during power outages.”

The post The Most Effective Real Estate Copywriting Techniques to Generate Leads appeared first on Crowd Content - Blog.

Expert SEO content writers can help you build a steady output of articles, blog posts and other content to boost your online visibility. In this guide, we’ll look at how optimized content helps achieve your business goals and the role SEO content writing services can play.

What Is SEO Content Writing?

SEO content writing is the creation of high-quality content that gives your site prominence in search engines. The content should use search engine optimization best practices for optimum ranking and be insightful and compelling for readers.

What Does SEO Content Look Like?

To land one of the top spots in the SERPs, your content needs to clearly satisfy a search query, cover a topic comprehensively and demonstrate that you’re a trusted, expert source. You can read more in our previous post about optimizing content for SEO, but here are some best practices to follow.

Incorporate Relevant Keywords

Each piece of content should focus on a different primary keyword. Most SEOs recommend placing the primary keyword in the title, the introduction, one H2, the meta title and the meta description. Primary and secondary keywords should also be used at least once naturally in the body.

Understand User Intent

Make sure your content answers a user’s query. For example, determine if someone who searches for “nutritious baby food”  is interested in ideas of what to feed a baby or actual products they can purchase. You can research user intent by entering the keyword into Google to see what kind of content is currently ranking. 

Write for the Reader

While you should optimize your site for search engines, don’t get caught up in the algorithms. Your SEO content marketing strategy is most effective when you write naturally for the reader and aim to deliver comprehensive, useful information. Readers should find value in your content and leave your site feeling their questions have been answered.

Make Content Easy to Consume

Readers should effortlessly understand your content, so be sure to edit for logic, flow and grammar. Write clearly, use multiple headings to organize content and make use of bullet points or lists. 

Guide Readers With Internal Links

Improve user engagement and experience by adding internal links to other sections of your site, such as service pages or blog posts. These links help direct readers to additional information they might be interested in to keep them on your site longer.

Build Backlinks

Inbound links from other sources demonstrate your site is trusted and contains useful content. You can earn backlinks through guest posts or reach out to other sites and ask for links from resource pages or business mentions.

Why SEO Content is Important

Every piece of content on your site is an opportunity for your business to rank in search results and be discovered by audiences. In this way, SEO content writing is an investment. As long as content is evergreen and optimized, it can remain on your site and continue working for you long after it’s published. Here are a few ways SEO content can help you achieve your goals.

Improving Search Visibility

When users plug a query into the search box, they may not know your business exists. If you can create content that readers find valuable and that Google determines is trustworthy, you can reach a whole new audience and increase brand awareness. 

Driving Organic Traffic

It’s worth it to aim high in search rankings. According to Backlinko, the top three search results generate half of the clicks on the page. On average, moving up a position improves click-through rates by almost 3%.

To help turn your high ranking into leads, use compelling meta titles and descriptions or add schema markup to your pages to create rich, visually appealing results. 

Establishing Topical Authority

To rank well, your site must be authoritative. One way to signal your credibility to Google is to demonstrate expertise, or topical authority, in your field. The more thoroughly you cover a topic, the more authority you have.

Expand your digital footprint for a topic by using SEO content services to publish regularly and create clusters of expert articles.

Improving Customer Engagement

Once customers arrive on your site, engage them with stellar content. Publish blog posts on interesting topics and create eye-catching infographics, free downloadable templates and other helpful content.

This is also an opportunity to gently lead visitors through your marketing funnel. You might link from a service page to a case study, for example, to demonstrate how impactful your business is. Or you can end a blog post with a compelling CTA and a sign-up form for a free consultation.

Building an Effective SEO Content Strategy

A good SEO content strategy begins with keyword research. You need to know what your customers are interested in and searching for so that you can tailor content to answer their queries. Once you have a list of keywords, begin planning the content and create an editorial calendar to roll out new posts. An SEO content service can help manage output. Here are some types of content you can outsource.

Blog Posts

Blog posts are an opportunity to incorporate keywords into your website and create compelling content. When you regularly publish blog posts, you give readers a reason to return to your site and build trust and engagement.  

Service Pages

Create a separate service page for each of your offerings. This gives you an opportunity to rank for different queries. A photographer, for example, could create individual pages for wedding, newborn and portrait photography. You can delve deeper into what each service provides, improving user experience and, of course, ranking for more keywords.

Local SEO Content

When your business relies on local customers, it’s essential to appear in searches that specify “in” or “near” your community. Local SEO starts with your Google Business Profile, which can be optimized to highlight products and services and provide mini-updates. But you should also create website content with a local angle. A fitness studio might publish a blog post on local running trails, and a landscaping company can provide tips on plants that grow well in the climate. 

Ebooks and White Papers

Long-form SEO content marketing, such as white papers and ebooks, helps you showcase your expertise in your field and drives interested customers to your site. Typically used by B2B companies, these assets provide readers with in-depth information about a problem or challenge. Ebooks and white papers should be based on solid research, provide actionable advice and focus on educating rather than selling.

According to a 2022 survey by the Content Marketing Institute, 67% of the most successful B2B content marketers incorporated ebooks and white papers into their marketing mix, compared to 56% of all respondents.

Product Descriptions

Customers looking for a specific product may not always know where they want to purchase from, so ecommerce companies need compelling product descriptions for every item in their stores. Product descriptions should incorporate a keyword and be as descriptive as possible to stand out in search results.

Category Pages

Include SEO content on category pages to help rank for other keywords. You can add a few paragraphs with an overview of products or tips on choosing the right one. A store selling rugs, for example, could create content for their outdoor rug category with information about different materials and how to care for the rugs. 

Leverage Experts and Influencers

Another way to drive traffic to your site is by focusing content on experts or influencers in your niche. You could interview them for a profile or mention their work in an article. This provides an opportunity for them to create a backlink to your page or share it on social media. Your page might also appear in Google searches for the person or company.

Guest Posts

A guest post is content that you create but is published on another site. Guest posts help raise brand awareness and expose your business to new audiences. These are often used as part of a link-building strategy, as sites usually permit you to add a link back to your site. 

Accomplish More With SEO Content Writing Services

It can be time-consuming to produce well-written, high-quality content. Streamline your efforts with Crowd Content’s SEO content writing services. Our qualified writers can create keyword-rich blog posts, landing pages and product descriptions to help engage your audiences and grow your traffic.

The post Improve Your Search Visibility With SEO Content Writing Services appeared first on Crowd Content - Blog.

Boost Conversions With Better B2B Copywriting

Copywriting is the heart of every content marketing strategy for B2B companies. The text bears a heavy burden when you’re ranking a business website or driving traffic with online ads — it determines whether the reader takes the next step or bounces over to a competitor.

Whether you’re handling B2B copywriting in-house or outsourcing to B2B content writing services, concise, compelling copy is a surefire way to increase ROI and boost revenue.

What Is B2B Copywriting?

B2B copywriting is the process of creating written marketing content that’s targeted to business customers. It focuses on the unique needs and pain points of companies. Typically, in-house writers and B2B content marketing services use this type of copy to educate customers and promote their products.

B2B vs. B2C Copywriting

The difference between B2B and B2C copywriting lies in the audience; B2B copywriting is directed at businesses, while B2C copywriting targets individual consumers. This critical distinction affects everything from the tone to the calls to action. After all, businesses and consumers have dramatically different problems, budgets and timelines.

While B2C sales are typically about speed and convenience, the B2B process often involves educating customers and forming strong, long-term relationships. A single B2B sale can lead to years of repeat business, so communication is key. High-level copywriting is so valuable, in fact, that many companies opt to work with B2B content writing services to access professional writers on demand.

10 Tips for Successful B2B Copywriting

Whether you’re writing copy for a client or your own business, use these tips to sharpen your insights and tighten up your text.

1. Write to Buyer Personas

The people who read B2B copy might be administrators, purchasing managers or even business owners. When you understand exactly who you’re writing for, it’s easier to create effective, targeted copy.

That’s where buyer personas come in. These profiles describe a specific type of customer, giving you a clear picture of their buying process. It’s not unusual for companies to use multiple personas.

A buyer persona might include details about the customer’s:

• Business priorities and needs
• End goals
• Decision-making timeline
• Reporting structure
• Challenges and pain points
• Working environment
• Age and gender
• Communication preferences
• Current solution

Buyer personas inform a laser-focused copywriting and marketing process. They also help you create B2B content ideas and build an editorial calendar that coincides with customers’ purchasing cycles.

2. Define a Target Channel

For each writing project, identify where the text will be published. Are you writing a Facebook post? Creating an informational article for the company website?

Your target channel drives the structure and content of your copy. An Instagram post needs an attention-grabbing hook and a short paragraph that creates a human connection. A sales page, on the other hand, is longer and focused on conversions.

Make sure to keep your buyer personas in mind as you’re selecting a channel and crafting text. This is particularly important when it comes to different generations. For example, Gen Z office managers and Baby Boomer technical sales directors often have disparate tone and platform preferences.

3. Focus on Benefits

When you’re writing for business customers, it’s critical to focus on the benefits your products or services offer. What value do you bring to clients’ companies?

If you’re selling accounting software to small businesses, you could explain that the payment reminders go out automatically, so managers don’t have to hassle clients about unpaid invoices. This strategy zeroes in on the client’s pain points and provides a quick solution.

It sounds simple, but many companies miss the mark. They focus on their own philosophies, processes and products but fail to address customers’ needs. Purchasing managers don’t have the time to connect the dots — they just want an effective solution.

4. Position Your Business as an Expert

B2B purchases can have a significant impact on a company’s bottom line. Given the high stakes, it’s important to position your business as an industry expert. The content, phrasing and insights should display a commanding knowledge of the field and the client’s needs. Your goal is to make the customer feel comfortable and confident putting a piece of their company’s operations in your hands.

The right vocabulary can go a long way toward establishing yourself as an authority. If you’re selling to hospitals, for example, you might use “census” instead of “the number of admitted patients.” They mean the same thing, but the former is more common among health care professionals. It’s a small, subtle touch that demonstrates insider insight.

Bear in mind that the people who read B2B content aren’t always subject matter experts, which means that your copy must walk a fine line. The content must clearly communicate your expertise, all without using jargon that alienates people in administrative and support roles. 

5. Get Clear on Your Brand Voice

Brand voice — the way a company’s personality shines through in text — sets great copy apart from the crowd. If you can capture your business’ unique character in the style and tone of your writing, it leaves a lasting impression.

A great brand voice should:

• Align with brand values
• Resonate with the target audience
• Stay consistent across all customer interactions
• Distinguish the business from competitors

6. Tell Your Brand Story

A brand story explains the history and importance of your company in a way that speaks to customers’ deep-seated beliefs and feelings. It goes beyond the facts on an “about us” page, capturing the essence of the business and explaining why buyers should care.

Compelling brand stories weave together facts and emotions. Legendary adventurer Yvon Chouinard founded Patagonia because he couldn’t find lightweight, functional climbing gear; Burt’s Bees arose from a love story between an off-grid artist and an eccentric beekeeper.This strategy capitalizes on the way humans respond and connect to stories. When you weave a narrative into your B2B content, it makes the copy more memorable and convincing.

7. Understand the Purpose of the Copy

Exceptional B2B copywriting is artfully relentless — every sentence and phrase moves the reader closer to a specific objective. Before you start writing, define the purpose of the content. It serves as a reference for everything from word count to word choice.

The most obvious B2B copy goal is to sell a product or service, but that’s just one option. It all depends on your business objectives. When you have an upcoming product launch, you might create copy that builds anticipation and awareness. If your company wants to strengthen existing relationships, your goal could be to help customers get the most value from a past purchase.

8. Make Customers’ Lives Easier

Once you’ve crafted a snappy, persuasive piece of B2B content, edit ruthlessly. Brevity and clarity are the hallmarks of powerful B2B copy. If you can express an idea in five words, don’t use 10. Likewise, stick short, focused paragraphs to keep readers’ attention.

Business customers are often juggling multiple projects and deadlines, so it’s important to get your message across quickly. To avoid an off-putting wall of text and make readers’ lives easier, you can:

• Place important information higher on the page
• Use tables and infographics
• Break up text with headers and bullet points
• Put key ideas in bold

Customers should be able to scan the page in seconds and understand the content in seconds. When readers can find the information they need quickly, they’re less likely to click the Back button.

9. Create a Clear Call to Action

When a potential customer finishes reading your copy, do they know what to do next? If not, it’s time to rethink. Every piece of content should have a clear call to action (CTA) that helps the reader engage further with your brand. In most cases, your CTA should be closely related to the purpose of the copy.

Possible B2B CTAs include:

• Buy a product
• Get a free quote
• Schedule a consultation
• Download a white paper
• Join the email list
• Chat with a representative
• Read a related article
• Connect on social media

10. Know When to Get Help

B2B copywriting takes both time and skill, which can present a challenge when you’re ready to scale. If your writing needs are beginning to exceed your capacity, it might be time to look into B2B content development services. Companies like Crowd Content work with large teams of experienced writers, so they can help you ramp up production quickly or tackle smaller projects that require specific expertise. To find out how our expert writing and editorial teams can streamline your company’s copywriting, contact us today,

The post 10 Tips for B2B Copywriting That Converts appeared first on Crowd Content - Blog.

It’s a demanding task — but achievable. Below, we offer ways to get your creative juices flowing so you can generate impactful ideas for your niche. We explore content formats to attract customers and ways to source topic ideas. And because you need more than random pieces of content to make an impact, we discuss how to fuse your ideas with a solid content marketing strategy.

B2B Content Marketing Ideas: Where to Start

When creating B2B content, you target business decision-makers who are solving commercial challenges. These customers make decisions that can impact an entire company and need reliable, industry-specific information to grow their businesses. That’s why B2B marketing differs from B2C methods, which may incorporate influencer marketing or appeal more to emotions.

Blog posts are at the heart of most B2B content marketing strategies — and for good reason. They’re versatile and can be structured to cover a range of topics. But they’re not the only way to share your knowledge. If you’re looking for fresh B2B content ideas, consider expanding your marketing to include different formats. Publishing various content types makes your site more dynamic and appeals to different user preferences.

• Case studies: Show the impact of your product or services and back it up with statistics.
• FAQs: Make it easy for potential customers to find the answers to important questions.
• Infographics: Present complex information visually to help customers understand topics and easily share content with their colleagues.
• Augmented and virtual reality: Leverage technology to offer immersive and interactive experiences, such as product demos, virtual showrooms, and interactive 3D models.
• White papers: Explore industry issues, and establish authority with in-depth analyses and thought leadership.
• E-books: Share your expertise in a downloadable format that’s creative and visual.
• Videos: Appeal to audiences who prefer to consume video content instead of reading.
• Webinars and podcasts: Invite experts to discuss topics in an interactive format.
• Glossaries: Define technical and industry terminology customers may not be familiar with. 

Finding B2B Content Ideas

To impress your audience with B2B topics for your niche, consider the information they need to do their jobs and how you can assist. For example, your content might:

• Provide data to support decision-making
• Summarize industry research or present your findings
  
• Share information from presentations you made at conferences
  
• Offer insight into industry trends and what you expect in the future
• Provide tutorials, guides, and checklists to help them through a process
• List tools to improve their productivity
• Offer free templates to make their workflow easier
• Give tips to enhance how they use your products or services
• Provide tables and charts to compare products 

Your customers may also have specific questions; go to the source to see what they want to know. Conduct surveys, or ask your sales and customer care teams what questions and issues often arise. Visit online communities, such as Reddit, or listen in on social media conversations to discover what audiences are talking about. Analytics is an essential tool to see which marketing emails produce clicks and which pages on your website perform best. Round out your research with a content gap analysis to find missing key topics on your website that have the potential to generate traffic.

Where possible, leverage your firsthand knowledge, and provide real-world scenarios and examples in your content. This helps your website address Google’s E-E-A-T guidelines by demonstrating experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness. 

Successful B2B Marketing Begins With a Content Strategy

The right mix of content can drive traffic, build leads, and improve conversion rates, but it requires planning. The best way to brainstorm and harness ideas is through a content marketing strategy — it helps you create purposeful SEO content that satisfies your audience’s needs. Use the following tips to customize a B2B marketing strategy that guides your content production.

Identify your target audience and what matters to them

A successful content strategy is tailored to your core audience, so you need to understand your customers and produce content that caters to their problems. Before you nail down your B2B content ideas, reflect on your long-term goals, who you’re writing for, and the purpose of the content. Clearly understand what customers want to know at different stages of the buyer’s journey, and deliver exceptional content that answers those questions. 

Find out what competitors are doing

If you’re unsure how to make B2B content interesting, look into what your competitors are doing and how they’re ranking on the SERPs. Suppose you manufacture cloth made of pure cotton. Your direct competitors are companies that produce the same kind of cloth, and your indirect competitors sell other fabrics, such as silk or polyester blends. Essentially, these companies either sell identical products, variations, or replacements for your product. Chances are these competitors distribute content to rank for the same keywords and attract your target audiences. 

Competitive analysis is invaluable for planning your content. You can use tools such as Ahrefs and Semrush to understand what keywords your competitors are ranking for and the volume of traffic they’re getting. This gives you an idea of the content users are looking for and gaps in your competitors’ strategies. For example, if you have a SaaS product and competitors are talking about how to scale small businesses, you might go a step further to create content about common mistakes small businesses make when trying to scale. 

To draw in more customers, you also need a unique selling point. When creating content on common topics in your niche, highlight aspects of your business and topical authority that set you apart from your competitors. This helps you create an impression in your customers’ minds and gives them a reason to choose your company over others.

Incorporate cluster strategies 

A content cluster is a way of organizing content by theme. It uses a main pillar page as a gateway into the high-level topic, directing audiences to related, in-depth pieces. This strategy enables you to interlink your content to improve user experience and establish authority to boost your SEO.  

To create a content cluster, you need to conduct SEO and keyword research, determine your core pillar pieces, and decide on cluster articles that support those pillar topics. Once your content marketing ideas for B2B are in place, you can start writing high-quality blog posts and internally link them to each other.

Let’s look at an example of how this works.

Decide on a main idea related to your product or service. If you’re a content writing business, the customers who land on your page are likely looking for ways to upgrade their existing content strategy. So, let’s say your first pillar piece is about content strategy. You then create a list of overarching topics that cluster around this one. 

For example:

• Does your content strategy make a difference?
• 5 ways to create a solid content strategy
• Common content strategy mistakes 
• Should you hire a content writing team?

Once your topic cluster is ready, create a content brief for each article with subheadings to avoid repetition. Ideating content in this way helps you develop multiple ideas to cover specific overarching topics in more detailed chunks. AI platforms, such as ChatGPT, can assist with brief creation.

This clustering strategy also helps you push out more pieces of content that relate to each other and link back to a common, final destination — the conversion page of your website. 

Creating a cluster strategy

Developing compelling content clusters is simpler than you think. Follow this structure for an organized approach:

• Pick a topic or a main idea.
• Research keywords for that topic.
• Audit existing content to see what you’ve already covered.
• Chart out overarching blog ideas related to your topic and the high-ranking keywords.
• Create content briefs and assign writers.
• Link between articles in the cluster.

Emphasizing quality

Remember that a solid content strategy is only the first step. You also have to deliver quality content. Even if you identify relevant topics and use the right keywords, your content needs to provide value to the reader. Flesh it out with nuanced observations about your industry and back it up with statistics and research. 

If your strategy and content are in place and your customer clicks through your site, there shouldn’t be anything off-putting about your conversion page to cause friction. Make sure you have a good conversion offer, demo, or clear contact option. Minimize distractions or other links so visitors can maintain attention while buying your product or service.

In this way, content clustering can help you bring structure into your content marketing strategy and help you achieve your B2B content marketing goals.

Don’t forget brand marketing and positioning

Brand positioning is the impression people have of your business in comparison to your competitors. It’s what sets you apart and gives you a distinct place in your customers’ minds. But how can you position your brand using your content?

1. Talk to your customers and find out their pain points. Find out what they’d like you to do differently, how you can offer more value, and why they chose you over a competitor. This gives you an idea of what you’re doing right and what you should improve. Your openness to feedback also creates a positive impression of your brand and shows you care about your customers’ needs.
2. Promote your USP. Determine what sets your brand apart from others. Incorporate your USP into your content marketing and give your customers a reason to choose your brand over others in the market. Emphasize how you can help them and why they should trust your company over another.
3. Let your brand voice shine. Is your company a startup that uses humor to appeal to audiences? Maybe it’s an established brand that conveys authority and expertise. Use tone and voice in your content to convey your brand’s message and shape how your customers perceive you.

Plan in advance

B2B companies that posted more than 11 times a month received 3.75 times more leads than those that posted a handful of times. That’s a lot of content to manage, but an editorial calendar can keep your strategy on track. Organize your B2B content marketing ideas, slot them into your schedule, and make sure nothing falls through the cracks.

We recommend planning content 6-8 months in advance, even if you only publish a few times a month. This creates a consistent output and enables you to align content with important occasions, such as product launches or seasonal events. Preparing your content in advance also allows time for research, writing, editing, and quality assurance, preventing sacrifices in quality due to rushed deadlines. 

Consider working with writers who understand SEO concepts. Outsourcing your blog can help you draw on fresh perspectives and quickly stock up your content inventory.

Revitalize Your B2B Content Marketing

If you’re trying to establish your company as a leader in the B2B space, a solid content strategy and high-quality content are essential. The focus should be on creating content that’s useful to your target audience and attracts organic leads to your business. At Crowd Content, we have the writers to set your content strategy in motion. Our talented B2B content marketing writers help you create blog posts, white papers, and SEO content that builds trust with decision-makers and boosts your business.

The post How to Create B2B Content Ideas for Your Blog appeared first on Crowd Content - Blog.

But producing content at scale takes time. According to data, it takes over four hours on average for businesses to write a blog post—an increase of 67% over a seven-year span! Ebooks can take twice as long as they are usually more custom and in-depth.

And many business leaders publish books to establish authority in their field and boost their company brand. If a blog post takes four hours, imagine how long a whole book would take!

That’s why finding a business ghostwriter is key to scaling content marketing. Outsourcing content to a ghostwriter frees up time to focus on strategy, and business ghostwriting services enable marketing departments & executives to increase output.

You first need to figure out how much it costs to hire a business ghostwriter. With so many factors impacting ghostwriting costs for businesses, how do you sort all this out?

And what are the benefits of business ghostwriting to weigh against costs? Without understanding both sides of the equation, you can’t calculate investment returns.

In this post, we’ll overview what business ghostwriting is all about, what criteria influence costs and how to optimize the efficiency of ghostwriting.

Once you master the ins & outs of the costs of ghostwriting on your business and how to turn those costs into an investment, you can improve your content marketing to increase traffic and convert more leads.

Or maybe publish that industry book to (finally!).

What Is a Business Ghostwriter?

Business ghostwriting is when you hire an external writer to write blog posts, ebooks or business books while you retain writing credit.

Simply put, you’re paying an expert writer to write your content marketing for you. This helps you save time and create content at scale.

Ghostwriters create content of all types, from 300-page business books to short blog posts designed to promote a product or service.

Business ghostwriting services are ideal when determining how to grow your business using content marketing because content development is a core principle of content marketing.

Successful ghostwriters come from a variety of professional backgrounds, from software developers who write technical manuals to creative writers who can connect with customers.

In other words, with the right team of business ghostwriters, you can solidify content production processes to improve your overall content marketing, get more leads and increase sales.

How Much Does a Ghostwriter Cost on Average?

The cost for a ghostwriter depends on many factors, such as what type of content you need, how long each piece needs to be, and how much research the project requires. A ghostwriter may also charge more if you ask them to include images, hyperlinks, and other content elements.

For example, business ghostwriting starts at $5,000 per book, according to wWriting coach Lisa Tener. If a ghostwriter charges hourly, the cost of a book could be between $30 to $200 per hour, depending on the project’s scope. Per-word rates for this type of work typically range from $1 to $3.

Book ghostwriting can be costly because of the prestige associated with publishing a book people can buy at a bookstore and hold in their hands. Other types of projects cost much less.

According to the American Writers & Artists Institute, professional writers typically charge at least $450 to create the home page for a website and $250 to $750 for an information page, which may include how-to guides, buying guides, and product reviews. 

Case studies typically cost $1,200 to $2,000, according to the Professional Writers’ Alliance, while white papers cost anywhere from $2,000 to $10,000.

Of course, these are just averages. Ghostwriter costs across all types of projects fall into a few pricing structures:

• Per-word pricing
• Flat-rate pricing
• Hourly rates
• Per-project rates

Per-word pricing

Ghostwriting rates per word vary dramatically — from 1 cent to several dollars. These prices factor in both the writer’s experience and the specific project.

For example, it’s common for writers to charge more per word for projects that require a lot of research. You’ll also incur additional costs if you need your ghostwriter to interview people or watch lots of video content to get a feel for your brand.

While there’s no set rate across the board, you can expect to pay 5-10 cents per word for simple blogs and general web content written by entry-level ghostwriters. A writer with a few years of experience may charge upwards of 20 cents per word, and subject matter experts or technical writers command an even higher premium.

You’ll also pay more if you need an ebook or white paper. Creating an ebook can cost businesses at least 50 cents per word, depending on quality and research requirements, while a white paper requires a budget of up to $1 per word. Both types of content can easily cost you thousands of dollars, but they also showcase clear authority to cement your position within a niche.

Flat-rate pricing

Some ghostwriters use a flat-rate scale, where you’ll pay a specific amount for content up to a certain number of words or per page. This payment structure usually gets cheaper as the word requirement increases, so it’s better than straight per-word pricing for businesses needing long-form content.

While ghostwriting rates depend on the writer’s skill level, you should expect to pay about $50 to $75 for a 1,000-word blog post written by an entry-level professional. In comparison, expect to pay up to $250 for a blog of this length if you engage the services of more experienced ghostwriters.

Hourly rates

Like per-word rates, hourly ghostwriting prices vary considerably, depending on the type of content and the experience of the individual writer. For example, the median hourly rate of a copywriter is $28, but this rate ranges from $25 to $31. 

Copywriters handle various types of marketing writing and related content, which is often an ideal match for businesses. However, general content writers typically charge a few dollars less per hour and can handle blogs and the most basic forms of website copy. Again, expertise plays a significant role in these prices.

Unless you’re looking to hire an in-house ghostwriter, you generally won’t encounter hourly rates as often as per-word and per-project fees. 

However, accepting an hourly rate may be advantageous if you’ll need your ghostwriter to attend several meetings during the planning and publishing process. This way, you can cover the extra work without negotiating it into the project as a separate payment.

Per-project rates

Per-project ghostwriter fees make the most sense for anything that isn’t a simple blog post or web page because they allow your ghostwriter to factor in all the additional work required, such as SEO, image sourcing, and research.

This pricing structure is also ideal for social media posts and emails, since these types of content require extra planning and creativity that a per-word rate won’t cover. Social media content costs up to $10 per post, while emails may cost up to $50, jumping much higher for long lead-generation pieces.

Expect to pay about $400 for a 2,000-word blog post, $50 to $100 or more for product descriptions (depending on the length and complexity), and around $1,000 for a landing page. Additional requirements will add to these costs, but the benefit of a per-project rate is that you know how much you’ll need to pay upfront before you accept the contract.

How Successful Businesses Use Ghostwriting Services

You may be wondering how to use a ghostwriter.

Leveraging ghostwriters enables you to optimize cost-efficiency while scaling output and maintaining quality all at the same time.

And with bylines and writing credit, you retain your brand’s authority over your area of expertise. It’s a win-win!

While there are four main types of ghostwriting content: website copy, ebooks & business books, fiction and memoirs, businesses focus mostly on web content like landing pages, blog posts, ebooks, and business books.

Content for business ghostwriting services

• Landing pages: Business ghostwriters can write keyword-rich landing pages with compelling calls to action, helping you generate leads or convert your existing leads into paying customers.
• Blog posts: When you want to educate your target audience and demonstrate SEO authority, blog posts are a go-to. Ghostwriters deliver well-researched posts to engage audiences and increase your traffic and conversions.
• Ebooks: Think of ebooks as middle-of-funnel collateral for your content marketing. Users can download these mini-books as part of the lead nurturing process to move through your sales funnel. Ebooks are usually longer than blog posts, so it’s vital for the writing to flow well. Professional ghostwriters can write ebooks from scratch or take existing blog content and repurpose it for you.
• Business books: If you’re a growing business and want to establish a professional reputation in your industry, authoring a book is an excellent way to accomplish this goal. But writing a book can be incredibly time-consuming. A ghostwriter can alleviate the burden of researching and writing your book, giving you time to focus on the business.

Leveraging business ghostwriters where possible in your content marketing strategy can save you a lot of time.

Advantages of Hiring a Business Ghostwriter

Ghostwriters can help you achieve flexibility and reduce the cost of your content marketing efforts. They can also bring third-party knowledge and experience to the table to increase the quality of your content.

Time savings

As a business owner, you have to juggle everything from marketing and customer service to bookkeeping and inventory management. You may not have enough time to research and write the content necessary to help grow your business.

On the other hand, large companies may want their employees to focus on product development, customer service, and other roles, leaving little time available to create a content marketing plan and consistent production schedule. Outsourcing content production to ghostwriters can help you publish consistently without dedicating much time to content creation.

Cost savings

When you hire a full-time writer, their salary or hourly wage is only one of your costs. You may also need to offer benefits, pay extra taxes, and cover the cost of a new computer or other equipment the writer needs to do their job. These costs add up quickly, especially for small businesses. When you have a writer on your payroll, you have to cover these costs regardless of whether you need content.

Ghostwriter services are less expensive, since you only pay for the content you receive. You don’t have to cover the cost of their computer equipment or internet access, pay any extra taxes (since they’re responsible for their own taxes), or worry about finding space for them in your office. As a result, working with a ghostwriter can save you a significant amount of money.

Of course, you can also leverage both types of writers. Hiring a ghostwriter can maximize your in-house writing team’s performance by allowing them to focus on time-sensitive tasks and your most important pillar content.

Increased flexibility

If you hire a full-time writer, they may not have experience writing every type of content you need. You could get around this problem by employing part-time writers with different skill sets, but then you’d have to find space and purchase equipment for both of them.

A better alternative may be to hire different ghostwriters for each type of project. For example, you’d work with a business book ghostwriter if you wanted to publish a book. Then, you’d work with a second ghostwriter if you needed a case study or white paper. This gives you a tremendous amount of flexibility.

How to Hire a Ghostwriter

If you’re ready to take advantage of all the benefits of business ghostwriting, you have two options.

The first is advertising online, screening applications, reviewing work samples, and conducting interviews until you find the right ghostwriter for the job. If you go this route, set aside plenty of time for reviewing samples — you’ll want to find someone who can write in your preferred tone and keep your target audience engaged.

The second option is to seek an agency with many business ghostwriters available for immediate work. Working with an agency eliminates the need to advertise, screen applications, and conduct interviews, freeing up a lot of your time.

If you work with an agency, you can also request a business ghostwriter with experience writing about your industry. Writers with niche expertise will communicate the value of what you offer and match Google’s desire for topical authority.

Start Growing Your Business with Ghostwriting Services

If you’re ready to learn how to grow your business with content marketing, contact a business ghostwriter today. To make hiring a writer even easier, partner with a company that works with qualified ghostwriters who are ready to take on projects of any size. 

At Crowd Content, we make it simple to find freelance ghostwriters for hire. We also have a team of SMEs who can review your content to ensure it demonstrates the expertise and authority Google loves.

The post How Much Does a Ghostwriter Cost for Business Writing? appeared first on Crowd Content - Blog.

Tell me if you’ve heard this one before. Your company’s lead volume is stagnant but your sales reps are capped. What do you mean simply call more leads? Are you hiring another SDR?

Alas, a tale as old as time.

This is where marketing comes in. If you run mark-ops or are a content marketer tasked with feeding leads to sales, how’s it going?

Is inbound lead generation working for you or are you experiencing lots of sleepless nights?

If you want to expand your efforts or just focus on a core strategy without scatterbrain, you need to know inbound marketing, what are inbound marketing channels and how to leverage them.

So what is inbound marketing, how does it differ from outbound marketing and how can you refine tactics to make inbound marketing channels generate leads so you can hit your goals?

Outbound marketing reaches out to new leads by coming to them, whether it be through traditional advertising, outreach at tradeshows or even telemarketing.

Inbound marketing, on the other hand, attracts customers who’ve already started the buyer’s journey (even if they don’t know it yet) by drawing them in to you.

By creating different kinds of content with solutions potential leads are already looking for, you can attract and empower more people to give you more revenue.

Why is this important? Simply put, inbound marketing creates a dialogue with prospective leads. Providing valuable info via inbound marketing channels enables leads to find and evaluate you.

But how exactly does inbound marketing work? And how can you harness this powerful marketing strategy yourself?

We’ll dive into the benefits of inbound marketing, the returns you can expect and investigate the various channels of inbound marketing to take advantage of.

What Is Inbound Marketing?

At its most basic definition, inbound marketing is a strategy to help prospective customers or clients find your business.

Inbound marketing meets customers where they are and guides them towards your products or services, attracting and engaging buyers before they’re even considering making a purchase.

Customers generally start their journey by researching a query online to learn more about their given interest.

For instance, they may be researching new meal recipes, gardening tips or software solutions for their jobs but not necessarily shopping yet.

If you sell a product that aligns with their interest—say, gardening accessories or a productivity software—you can guide them towards your solution.

That’s where inbound marketing, SEO content come in. By providing meaningful and informative content to customers, you can build trust and educate leads.

With an inbound marketing strategy, you’re building visibility and rapport, bringing customers to you rather than seeking them out and selling to them directly, which is outbound marketing.

Through inbound marketing channels, including organic traffic, social media and events, businesses can create brand awareness and generate leads.

Therefore inbound marketing can be a great complement to outbound marketing to increase your revenue. So how exactly are inbound and outbound marketing channels different?

Inbound vs. Outbound Marketing

While outbound marketing also creates leads and builds revenue, it aligns with more conventional marketing practices like ads, bulk-email marketing or even cold-calling.

The goal for both inbound and outbound marketing is to convert leads, but the approach between the two differs.

Outbound marketing almost acts as an interruption by proactively presenting products or services to people, regardless of whether they’re likely to make a purchase or not.

Inbound marketing instead aims to attract customers with tailored and valuable content.

Inbound lead generation answers questions or provides solutions to problems potential customers want to solve, while outbound marketing pushes out messages to create interest.

In simplest terms, outbound marketing brings your business to customers while inbound marketing brings customers to your business.

While outbound marketing still has its place in a marketing strategy, inbound marketing benefits compared to outbound marketing include cost-efficiency and the opportunity to nurture leads.

Let’s review the benefits of inbound marketing so you know when and how to leverage it to grow your customer base.

What Are the Benefits of Inbound Marketing?

Inbound marketing is a long-term strategy. Instead of going right for a sale, it’s designed to attract a lead’s attention, pique their interest and nurture them on their journey to a conversion.

While the benefits are subtle in the short term, a good inbound marketing strategy creates more brand awareness, increased revenue, reduced expenses and better customer engagement.

3 Inbound Marketing Benefits

1. More Brand Awareness
2. Higher Quality Leads and Increased Engagement
3. Efficient Marketing Budget

1. More Brand Awareness

Most consumers start their buyer’s journey by researching online.

With an effective SEO strategy and content that satisfies the queries of prospective customers, you can rank near the top of a search engine for instance and answer their question.

Or you attract their attention by educating them on something they didn’t know that would benefit them or solve a pain point.

This is an example of how inbound marketing generates online sales leads. When customers start their journey, your brand can show up and answer their questions first.

2. Higher Quality Leads and Increased Engagement

Customers expect tailored and individualized experiences. But only 60% of customers think companies provide good marketing personalization.

Inbound marketing can help connect to more potential customers in a personalized way.

When you understand where customers are in their journey and strategize your inbound marketing to their needs, leads are more likely to engage with your brand in meaningful ways.

Writing content with emotional messaging to exhibit empathy with your audience’s pain points is an example of how to grow your business using content marketing.

It connects with your audience on that personal level and translates to better inbound lead generation and higher customer conversion rates.

3. Efficient Marketing Budget

Since inbound marketing focuses on bringing qualified leads to your business, it’s less costly than outbound marketing.

With an effective inbound marketing effort, you can use a relatively small marketing team to make the most of your budget.

By pushing great content through various channels, the results of your efforts will compound rather than diminish over time.

With SEO practices and engaging content, your content will continue to grow and generate more leads, which means more revenue to feed back into your business and marketing budget.

How to Create an Inbound Marketing Strategy

Creating an inbound marketing strategy takes more than throwing money into various channels.

Pro marketing teams consider what channels they should prioritize and how to best facilitate lead generation according to their business needs.

Here are six tactics to create an inbound marketing strategy:

1. Define Buyer Personas
2. Identify Marketing Triggers
3. Determine Keywords and SEO Strategy
4. Establish Marketing Goals
5. Outline Content Strategy and Structure
6. Analyze, Revisit and Optimize Your Inbound Marketing Strategy

1. Define Buyer Personas

A buyer persona is a fictional representation of your brand’s ideal customers. A single brand might have numerous buyer personas, each with different interests, priorities and goals.

Some elements to include in a buyer persona to ensure your inbound marketing strategy is effective include interests, challenges, goals and frustrations.

Importantly—and this is key for your marketing collateral to hit the mark—map your solution’s benefits to your personas’ anxieties and pain points to attract more leads.

Understanding and defining your brand’s buyer personas helps you better understand whom you’re marketing to. The better you understand your buyer personas, the better equipped you are to create content that resonates with customers.

2. Identify Marketing Triggers

Events, circumstances or pain points that cause customers to search for information about your product or industry are known formally as marketing triggers.

An example would be an anxiety we referred to above when talking about defining buyer personas.

For instance, maybe you sell marketing software to business owners who’re anxious about their busy calendars. That’s a classic trigger for the selling point of “saving time.”

Trigger-based marketing also meets customers at their point in the buyer’s journey, responding to certain actions with specific solutions rather than broad and arbitrary advertising.

Other triggers could include website or email activity, letting you know if your lead is still learning about your solution or is further along, looking at product features.

3. Determine Keywords and SEO Strategy

Once you understand your buyer personas and what causes potential customers to engage with your content, you’ll need to know how you’ll get that content in front of them.

Keyword research is an integral part of an inbound marketing strategy because it enables you to identify the questions and pain points your target audience has when researching online.

Leverage this information to optimize your SEO strategy and design your content calendars to make your content discoverable so more leads can find you.

A good example of improving your inbound marketing with SEO is to investigate common topics your audience researches from keyword research and to create topic clusters.

By focusing on and linking between a few core, common topics, you demonstrate authority and expertise to people and search engines alike on info your target audience will find valuable.

4. Establish Marketing Goals

Set inbound marketing goals by identifying what you want to accomplish by a certain time. Consider traffic metrics, conversion rates and lead sources to start planning marketing goals.

Once you know what to focus on, you can scale up from there. For example, maybe it’s better to start driving brand awareness and improving SEO before tackling goals about customer loyalty.

But whether you’re creating short-term or building towards more long-term inbound marketing goals, you’ll need strong content. 

5. Outline Content Strategy and Structure

Impactful content in various formats enables you to accomplish your marketing goals because content is how leads find you and it’s what they engage with when you’re nurturing them.

So content marketing goals are a necessary subset of inbound marketing goals, but how do you create great content goals for inbound marketing?

Basic keyword research will help you design content topics that align with your audience’s interests to grab their attention and provide value.

You also need to understand your audience’s pain points, emotional triggers, needs and wants to compel them, nurture them properly and generate inbound conversions.

If you’re a B2B content marketer, for instance, a great tip for creating B2B content marketing goals is to map your content to the buyer’s journey.

That means optimizing different types of content for each of the stages your leads are in and distributing that content accordingly.

Inbound marketing leads typically fall into three stages:

• Awareness. Leads look for general information about a topic and you’ll want them to discover your brand with content that they find valuable
• Evaluation. Leads discover more about your brand & services and gradually engage with more content about benefits or features so you can move them closer to a sale.
• Buying. Leads more strongly consider what your company can offer and interact with bottom-of-funnel content specifically about your product, services or buying process.

By creating content that responds to the separate lead stages, you can meet customers where they’re at in the buying journey and better personalize each experience.

ROI of Inbound Marketing

When designing a strategy to kickstart your inbound lead generation, you also need to focus on achieving and measuring a return-on-investment (ROI).

Not every inbound marketing channel is conducive to precise measurements and specific quantifiable metrics.

But creating a baseline, even if it’s based on estimates, is a great start to help with forecasting and finetuning your strategy decisions.

How Cost-Effective is Inbound Marketing?

Compared to outbound marketing, inbound marketing is cost-effective: small businesses see an average cost-per-lead savings of 64% and medium-sized companies enjoy a 68% reduction.

That’s partly because you’re not exhausting extra expenditure to deliver your message to potential customers, using content to instead let them find and evaluate you.

Therefore, it’s worth it to build an infrastructure to measure your inbound marketing ROI.

When you can bring tangible profitability estimates to your decision-makers that demonstrate this cost-effectiveness, you can access more resources you need to hit your goals.

What Is the ROI of Inbound Marketing?

It’ll take time to see how your content connects customers to your brand and generates leads.

Search engines gradually crawl and index content, rewarding high rankings to content that’s regularly optimized to  answer users’ questions.

Keep in mind that content can have a lasting impact. Performance often compounds over time as you build an authoritative domain through more strong content properly interlinked.

The bottom line for inbound marketing ROI comes down to how much you’re spending to convert leads into sales.

For example, say you spend $3,000 on content that results in six sales at $3,500 each. That’s $21,000 in revenue at an average cost of $500 per sale.

But this breakdown is often too simplistic. The formula is looking at total investments; content is one piece of a puzzle that leads to a sale.

So how do you build a system to take a properly holistic view at measuring inbound marketing ROI?

How to Measure Inbound Marketing ROI

Instead, build a system on an attribution model that weighs channels and content collateral by various touchpoints.

Strong inbound marketing measurement maps content to revenue-related conversion events.

For example, an analytics tool can connect a touchpoint on a blog post or an email campaign to an event like a demo signup, a trial request, a newsletter subscription and more.

Manual solutions could involve UTM parameters for inbound marketing ROI on conversion links and then tying the data in a spreadsheet to revenue metrics from a sales software.

With a comprehensive approach, you can cross-reference revenue with other metrics like social media engagement or email signups to get a full picture of your inbound marketing strategy.

So how does this all add up to generating more inbound marketing leads? We know what goes into a successful strategy and measuring ROI, but what are the channels of inbound marketing?

We’re going to shift into looking at the most common inbound marketing channels and how to use them so you can level up your content game and scale lead generation for your business.

What Are Inbound Marketing Channels?

An inbound marketing channel is a scoped set of resources and tools to deliver content from a company to your audience. In other words, how content goes from production to consumption.

Inbound marketing channels comprise the various ways businesses connect with their audience via content, from discoverability online to nurturing leads through emails or social media.

Knowing which inbound marketing channels to focus on and how to leverage them helps leverage ways to generate online sales leads with inbound marketing, so let’s dive in!

7 Important Inbound Marketing Channels

1. Organic Traffic
2. Social Media
3. Paid Advertising
4. Events
5. Podcasts
6. Referral Marketing
7. Website Resources

1. Organic Traffic

Organic inbound marketing is the most common and generally the most important channel available. It refers to website traffic of users who find you “organically” via a search engine.

Your company’s website is the main hub connecting your services to customers. Blog posts and services pages can generate organic traffic with the right content marketing and SEO strategy.

When potential leads look for info, your brand can educate them about the topic to build trust or provide value by highlighting benefits related to their query.

This is what makes your website discoverable on search engines to generate organic traffic and more prospective customers to your website.

Tailor your website’s content to your buyer personas and study the keywords and phrases that can guide people to your website.

Generate content for all stages of the funnel too. For example, top-of-funnel pages specifically target leads in the awareness stage by discussing content similar to your business categories.

If you sell workout equipment online, for instance, building content topics around workout routines and bodybuilding advice is a great way to target top-of-funnel leads.

It’s also important to know how to optimize content for SEO. Common tactics include keyword research, focusing on quality and ensuring you demonstrate expertise, authority and trust (E-A-T).

If you don’t pay attention to keywords and an SEO strategy, it might not matter how much high-quality content you produce.

If content doesn’t match users’ search intentions, search engines won’t rank your content and your website might not get the traffic it deserves.

2. Social Media

Why is social media an important part of inbound marketing?

Social media is a fast-growing channel for inbound marketing, and for good reason. A unique benefit to social media for inbound marketing is the ability to foster relationships with customers.

Social media content establishes a meaningful relationship between customers and businesses and facilitates two-way conversations.

With platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and more, you can engage directly with customers, gaining insights into what they need from products and services.

What are ways to use social media as an inbound marketing channel?

Provide valuable threads on LinkedIn and Twitter to show your expertise or create a Facebook community for customers to demonstrate your commitment to customer experience.

There are also ways for how social media helps SEO.

For example, you can gain backlinks through viral posts when you amplify your content to people who can share your links on their websites.

Search algorithms will view such shares as a sign of credibility, enhancing your search rankings. Your social profile pages themselves can also rank for relevant keywords.

3. Paid Advertising

Advertising is often considered an outbound tactic, but it can be useful for inbound marketing strategies too.

Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising on platforms like Google Ads allows you to target specific buyer personas by criteria like demographics, location and previous touchpoints on your website.

You can further customize your targeting by controlling when and where your content or ads appear.

This level of personalization enables you to hone in on potential leads already looking for info that you can provide. And ads are a proven tool to nurture inbound leads already in your funnel.

It’s also easy to attribute PPC inbound marketing to conversion events and revenue metrics. These analytics are handy for measuring and optimizing the success of your content strategy.

Although PPC can be costly, you only pay for each click you get.

Costs also differ per platform. LinkedIn tends to have higher click costs than Facebook or Google, but the lead quality tends to be stronger too since it targets business professionals.

And if you’re a local business that provides a home service, you can qualify for Google Local Services Ads.

One reason why this type of advertising is great for small business owners is that Local Services Ads charge per lead instead of per click, so you only pay for qualified leads, no junk. 

4. Events

Events are another example of a marketing channel that appear outbound, but they overlap with inbound techniques to a large degree.

Popup events associated with experiential marketing closely resemble outbound marketing, but participating in conferences and sponsoring events is all about attracting leads to your brand.

Why is event marketing an integral channel for inbound marketing? Because event marketing involves multiple touchpoints to educate and nurture leads like other inbound channels.

Setting up a booth at an event to entice passersby with a solution to their problem isn’t much different from blogging about that solution to entice search-engine users with the same problem.

And when booth attendees sign up for a demo or request more info, this should place them in a sequence with collateral like emails and ads, with unique landing pages about the event.

Once you get more digital assets involved, like QR codes, you can also initiate attribution tracking to measure event ROI too!

The key is how you are leveraging events to enable potential leads to find you and intrigue them with your hook. From there, educate them with materials also used for other inbound channels.

5. Podcasts

Podcasts are increasingly prevalent among even small- and medium-sized businesses as an inbound marketing channel.

Podcast inbound marketing is effective because it helps you cement your brand by giving your company an opportunity to develop and show off your personality.

Another positive for podcasts is that podcast listeners actively engage with brands. Podcasts compel people to listen attentively, so they’ll likely become a fan of your brand personality.

Also, podcasts are an additional avenue for you to establish your expertise.

For example, if you’re an SEO agency that sells digital marketing services, starting a podcast to share SEO tips would build trust with prospective customers, showing them you know your stuff.

And podcasts are hugely popular with consumers.

The most recent year-over-year data shows the percentage of adults who regularly listen to podcasts jumped from 37% to 41%.

If that increase looks unimpressive, consider it was at 32% the previous year and is expected to hit 47% within the next year. That’s a consistent annual growth rate of over 10%.

But starting a podcast can be intimidating and time-consuming for first-timers. Plus, with more podcasts constantly popping up, it can be difficult to stand out in a saturated market.

Make sure to research podcasting tips for beginners so you feel comfortable getting started.

For instance, find the right equipment and figure out how to plan the scope of your podcast episodes.

Returning to the SEO-agency example, the SEO-podcast space is a competitive market. Maybe you mostly cater to local businesses, so you can establish a niche around tips for “local SEO.”

6. Referral Marketing

Referral marketing can produce a high volume of quality leads for lower costs than other inbound marketing channels.

That’s because you’re leveraging the reputation of other brands potential customers already know and trust.

By tapping into businesses and social circles around you, you can broaden your reach, get leads recommended from partner companies and find influential people to vouch for you.

Broadly speaking, this is what referral marketing is: it encapsulates anything that involves other people or companies bringing prospective customers to you.

Examples include customer referrals, influencer marketing with social media heavyweights or partnership marketing with companies that aren’t competitors but target the same audience.

One of the easiest ways to begin a referral program is to harness your existing customer base.

Provide your existing customers with a unique coupon code to share with a friend. They’ll likely spread the word if there’s a benefit for them, like a discount for each new referral.

The beauty here is that you only need to pay out rewards once the new customer actually makes a purchase, so you’ll still see revenue growth that’s profitable.

Influencer marketing uses endorsements and mentions from social media users with large followings, otherwise known as influencers.

With established trust from their followers, influencers can generate traffic to your business by recommending your products and services to their followers.

While influencer marketing is a lucrative inbound marketing channel, managing the shifting trends and demographics can be challenging.

Different demographics have their own aesthetic preferences, meaning you might not reach your ideal buyer persona if you don’t partner with the right influencer.

It doesn’t need to be as complex as paying a celebrity a lot of money to publish an ingenuine tweet about your product.

Find people your target audience respect, perhaps experts in their field, and engage them in a dialogue to see how you could help each other out.

If you sell products online, for instance, a great way to work with influencers is with ecommerce influencer marketing.

Find influencers who are right for your brand. If you sell makeup online, why not partner with popular YouTubers who give makeup tutorials?

When you partner with another business to refer customers between each other, that’s called partnership marketing.

For example, Apple and Mastercard came together to integrate Mastercard into Apple Pay when it was first introduced.

This made the Apple Pay app viable but also boosted Mastercard’s image as a forward-thinking leader in the payments space.

You don’t even need to create an integrated product line with another company.

If you sell accounting software, you can simply build an interdependent referral program with another company that targets accountants with a different type of software.

If you choose to partner with another company, make sure you’ll be reaching new customers and the relationship is truly a win-win.

7. Website Resources

In addition to blog posts and social media content, for instance, it’s important to create other pieces of inbound marketing content to nurture leads at all stages of the funnel.

For instance, once leads find you, they’ll want to learn more about your specific product category. This is known as middle-of-funnel marketing.

Content optimized for the top of the funnel answers users’ queries about their pain points and needs before they even know about what your product is or does.

But then after they find your brand, they’ll then want to learn more about how a solution like yours works.

As we mentioned previously, blog posts can represent “top of the funnel” marketing, drawing users to your site from search engines.

Informational resources like podcasts and webinars target customers in the evaluation stage—the middle of the sales funnel.

Ebooks and white papers provide in-depth educational content beyond that of the average blog post. You should reserve these resources for your most sophisticated content.

They take more time and funds to produce, but they’re necessary to win sales when you have a more complex buying cycle.

And for leads who already know what they’re looking for at a high level, these resources can be perfect as an initial touchpoint.

Since potential customers often find them more valuable than top-of-funnel content, they’ll more likely give their contact information so you can follow up with—and close them—later on.

Harness Inbound Marketing Channels for More Leads

Inbound marketing is an impactful tool that strategically connects businesses and customers.

By using channels like blogs, social media and referral marketing, you can target customers at their individual stages in the buyer’s journey.

This results in improved brand awareness and preference, ultimately leading to greater lead generation and conversion rates over time.

To create an effective inbound marketing strategy, you’ll need more than a few blog posts. At the heart of every inbound marketing strategy is quality content.

With content writing services, you can cost-effectively generate the content needed to leverage inbound marketing at scale and attract more leads to your brand to grow your business.

The post 7 Inbound Marketing Channels to Generate More Leads appeared first on Crowd Content - Blog.

Content marketing is the practice of creating and distributing content that’s valuable and relevant to people in your target audience. It’s important to remember that what’s valuable to one person isn’t valuable to another. That’s why it’s so important to define your target audience carefully before you start developing your first piece of content.

Many business owners struggle with the idea of producing high-quality content and giving it away for free. After all, didn’t you go into business to turn a profit? Content marketing is highly effective because it helps bring new people into your sales funnel and gives you more opportunities to convert leads into paying customers. And while you may want to keep some of your “secret sauce” a secret, there’s still plenty of knowledge you can share with your audience. By giving away some of your knowledge in the form of content, you build your credibility and earn trust.

Even better, content marketing is much more cost-effective than many other marketing methods. Think about how much you’d spend to produce and air a 30-second television commercial or buy a half-page advertisement in a popular magazine. You’ll spend much less to produce a case study or write a series of blog posts, but you’ll still be able to connect with people in your target audience.

Benefits of Content Marketing

In addition to the opportunity to lower your marketing costs, content marketing has many benefits for businesses. It doesn’t matter if you’re a one-person shop or a marketing specialist at a Fortune 500 company; you can use high-quality content to increase revenue and keep customers engaged.

Improved Search Engine Rankings

A website full of useful content will rank higher in search engine results than a bare-bones site. Google and other search engines consider hundreds of factors when determining where each of your pages should rank when people search for relevant keywords. Some of those factors are more in your control than others, such as the length of the content, the use of relevant keywords and how often you publish new content. Content originality is also a major consideration for search engine algorithms.

Because content marketing involves the consistent production and distribution of content, it can help you show the search engines your site is updated regularly and contains content that’s highly relevant to your target audience. Additionally, more content creates more opportunities for other websites to link to your pages, giving you an additional SEO boost.

More Opportunities To Promote Your Business

If you only have a few pages of content, there isn’t much for visitors to do when they land on your website. You also miss out on opportunities to showcase your expertise and demonstrate that you understand the pain points of people in your target audience. Every time you publish a new blog post, article or other piece of content on your website, you create a new opportunity to promote your business.

When you have a large website filled with high-quality content, it’s also easier to attract inbound links, increasing awareness of your brand. Useful articles are also more likely to be shared on social media. Both web links and social shares will drive traffic to your site and build your audience of potential buyers.

Increased Conversion Rates

Conversion rate refers to the number of website visitors who take a desired action divided by the total number of visitors to the site. In many cases, the desired action is the purchase of a product, but it can also be something like downloading a free report or contacting the company to request more information. If you have 100 visitors and one of them takes the desired action, your conversion rate is 1%. Content can help you increase your conversion rate by building trust, increasing engagement and helping you convince potential customers you offer something worthwhile.

Better Relationships With Prospects and Customers

Think about how you use the internet to find information on topics of interest. If you land on a page riddled with typos or content that reads like it was put through a blender, you’re unlikely to trust that the website owner has any authority on the topic. You may even wonder if the site is owned by a scammer. That’s not a great way to start a relationship with a business.

High-quality content helps you demonstrate your expertise, show prospects you understand their needs and convince audience members you have their best interests in mind. When a business relationship starts this way, prospects are much more likely to believe you can solve their problems.

Types of Content Marketing

Blogging

Initially, blogs were used as personal websites or journals where people could share information with others. Over time, the purpose of the blog changed, and so did the format. Now a blog is any site or page that’s updated regularly. Although people still use their blogs as personal journals, smart marketers rely on blogging to connect with audience members, improve their search engine rankings and grow their brands.

No matter the size of your company, blogging has many benefits. By linking to other pages on your site, publishing blog posts can help you drive traffic to landing pages and other important content. Well-written content also establishes your company as an industry expert, which helps build trust and makes audience members more likely to buy from you than from one of your competitors. Finally, your blog is online 24/7, ensuring potential customers can learn more about your business no matter what day or time they come across your posts.

Infographics

Infographics are visual representations of information. Because they use eye-catching design elements and a minimal amount of text, they’re used to communicate key points to busy readers. A pie chart with a few bullet points below it, a colourful bar chart and a numbered list accompanied by carefully selected icons are all examples of infographics.

Infographics are ideal for providing topic overviews, distilling complex concepts into a few key points, displaying results from surveys or summarizing longer pieces of content. This makes them a valuable addition to any content marketing strategy.

Email Marketing

Email marketing is the use of email messages to connect with people in your target audience. This type of marketing is especially helpful because it allows you to personalize each message and make it more relevant to the reader. You can even segment your email list to target readers of different ages and interests, making your marketing efforts even more effective.

Content is key to any successful email marketing strategy. If your website is static, there’s no reason for your subscribers to open yet another email promoting it. But if you have a new article that’s timely and relevant to your audience’s needs, they’ll happily open your email and click through to your website to read it.

App Development

Many companies release free apps to generate revenue from advertising, but you can also use apps to attract people into your sales funnel and help them develop a positive relationship with your brand. For example, if you offer personal training, you could release a mobile app that guides people through a set of exercises designed to help them improve their balance or flexibility. As they use the app, people will get used to your training style and come to rely on you as an expert, which can help you grow your business.

Lead Magnets

A lead magnet is something of value you give people in exchange for their contact information. It may take a bit of time and money to develop a high-quality lead magnet, but the investment is well worth it when you think about what you get in return. Once you have someone’s email address, it’s much easier to send them targeted messages, creating extra opportunities to promote your business.

Remember that a lead magnet must be something of value to people in your target audience. A good lead magnet should also be relevant and follow through on what you promised when you made the offer. If you offer one thing and deliver something else, the recipient is likely to be disappointed, which isn’t a great way to start a relationship.

Here are just a few examples of items that can be used as lead magnets:

• White papers
• Special reports
• E-books
• Design templates
• Case studies

Social Media

Social media marketing involves joining online communities and using them to create and share content with current and potential customers. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat are some of the most popular platforms. Social media can help you grow your business by making it easier to attract customers, conduct market research and establish your brand. Another benefit of using social media is that you can reach thousands of potential customers for a fraction of what you’d pay for traditional advertising.

Video Marketing

Video marketing is exactly what it sounds like — the use of videos to educate, inform, entertain or persuade. Many types of content marketing involve the use of written material, but not everyone enjoys reading or has the time to read long blog posts, case studies or white papers. Video marketing helps you deliver your message to these audience members, increasing your reach and creating more opportunities to generate revenue.

Online Courses

Udemy, Teachable and other websites make it easy to create and publish online courses. Teaching online is an effective form of content marketing because it establishes you as an expert in your field. Publishing an online course also gives you direct access to your students, allowing you to deliver personalized messages that are highly relevant to their needs. This type of content marketing is especially effective for businesses that offer services like tutoring, music lessons and standardized test preparation.

Presentations

As a marketer, delivering live presentations or publishing past presentations online is a great way to connect with people who can benefit from your expertise. This type of marketing works for almost any type of business, from a construction company that wants to show off its completed projects to a marketing firm that wants to share helpful tips with potential clients. Not only does giving a presentation establish you as an expert in your industry, but it can also help you drive traffic to your website or increase the number of subscribers to your social media channels.

How To Grow Your Business Through Content Marketing

Now that you understand what content marketing is and why it’s so beneficial for businesses, you can start using content to grow your company. To do this effectively, you must plan your content carefully, focus on quality and identify the right distribution channels for each type of content. Because the marketing industry is always changing, you should also review and update your content marketing plan regularly to account for new trends.

Planning Content

As noted earlier, the first thing you need to do is define your target audience. Content marketing isn’t about throwing something at the wall and seeing if it sticks; it’s about developing content for a specific group of people who have a need for the products or services your company offers. It doesn’t matter if two million people read one of your blog posts if none of those people is in the market for what your business sells.

Once you have a general market in mind, you can segment it to make your marketing efforts even more effective. Segmentation can be done according to where audience members live, how they behave and what they value. Customer demographics, including age, ethnicity and sex, are also an important consideration when identifying your target market.

The right market segments for your business depend on what you sell and where you’re located. If you have an e-commerce business, you can market to customers all over the country, but a brick-and-mortar business is better served by focusing on local customers. For example, a restaurant in San Francisco wouldn’t try to market to people in New York or Philadelphia.

Your product or service offering is an important consideration because it determines who’s most likely to buy from you. If you were promoting an assisted living facility, for example, you wouldn’t include teenagers in your target market. You’d develop content for older people and publish it where they’d be most likely to see it.

Developing Content

Now that you have a well-defined target audience, it’s time to develop content that’s relevant to its needs. A busy executive might want to read a white paper or case study on a piece of business software, while someone shopping for a new pair of shoes would probably be more interested in reading a blog post on how to choose the most comfortable pair of sneakers, for example.

Once you know what type of content you need, you can have your in-house marketing team develop it or hire a content marketing agency to help you. Crowd Content has experienced writers and subject matter experts available to craft blog posts, case studies, white papers, product descriptions and other types of content for your business.

Distributing Content

Content marketing is an ongoing process, not a one-and-done task, so it’s important to identify a mix of distribution channels you can use to make your marketing strategy more successful. Again, the needs of your target audience should be one of your top considerations. If your content is aimed at business executives, for example, you’re more likely to reach them on LinkedIn than on Snapchat.

In addition to your own website, you can distribute content on social networks, video platforms, online courseware and digital marketplaces. If you have high-quality content that’s likely to attract a sophisticated audience, you may even be able to publish a guest post on a site like Forbes or Inc. Just remember to focus on channels where members of your target audience are most likely to spend their time.

Updating Your Content Marketing Strategy

Industries evolve over time, replacing outdated practices with new ones that make it easier to meet the needs of customers while turning a profit. Just as your business needs to adapt to industry-specific changes, it also needs to adapt to changes in marketing best practices. That’s why it’s important to review your content marketing strategy regularly and update it as needed.

Take Your Business to the Next Level

If content isn’t already a major part of your marketing strategy, now’s your opportunity to apply the principles of content marketing in your business. High-quality content increases awareness of your brand, highlights your expertise and helps you convince potential customers that your product or service could be exactly what they need to solve a problem or make life easier in some way.

Crowd Content is here to help you with product descriptions, landing pages and whatever kind of content you need to reap the benefits of having a cohesive content marketing strategy.

The post How to Grow Your Business With Strategic Content Marketing appeared first on Crowd Content - Blog.

What Is Keyword Search Intent?

In simplest terms, search intent is the purpose of the user’s query. When people use Google and other search engines, they have a goal in mind. They may want to learn more about a topic, solve a problem, buy something or find a specific page on a website. If the content on your pages matches the user’s search intent, you’re more likely to make a sale, add a new subscriber to your email list or convince the user to bookmark or share your site.

Types of Search Intent

SEMrush has identified four types of keyword search intent: transactional, commercial, informational and navigational.

Transactional User Intent

Transactional means the user wants to complete some type of action. The user might want to fill out your contact form, sign up for your email list or contact your business by telephone. These actions bring people into your sales funnel and give you the opportunity to convert them into paying customers.

Commercial Intent

When it comes to generating revenue, commercial intent is probably the most valuable. Users with commercial intent are interested in buying a product or service. They may not buy from you the first time they visit your website, but they might download your lead magnet or take advantage of a free trial.

Informational Intent

Users with informational intent want to solve a problem, answer a question or learn more about a topic that interests them. “How to do SEO” and “Why do zebras have stripes?” are examples of searches with informational intent.

Navigational Search Intent

People with navigational intent want to get to a specific website, not just any website that answers their question, solves their problem or helps them complete a purchase. For example, someone might type in Panera to find the corporate website for Panera Bread.

Matching the User’s Intent

Matching the user’s intent starts with keyword research. In many cases, it’s easy to understand what the user needs. For example, “buy mystery books” and “pet food coupon code” align with commercial intent because it’s clear the user wants to buy something or obtain a discount on a future purchase. Someone doing an informational search might enter “types of orchids” or “how to remove stains.” Keep an eye out for these signal words when you’re coming up with a list of keywords to target.

Identifying Keyword Search Intent

Some keywords are a little more difficult to figure out. The user might want information, or they might want to buy something. There are a few ways to determine the true intent of a search. The first is to contact your existing customers and ask them what keywords they use when they search for products, services and information related to your niche. You could also send out an anonymous survey to gather data from as many customers as possible.

The second way to identify a user’s search intent is to check out your competition. Type the target keyword into your search engine and look at the top-ranking pages. What kind of content do they have? How have they incorporated the keyword into their content? You don’t want to copy from your competitors, but you can get some good ideas by reading their content and figuring out what they’re doing to match user search intent.

Finally, using Google’s autocomplete feature and checking out the “People also ask” box on the search results page can give you valuable insight into a searcher’s true intent. Autocomplete makes predictions based on the text you type, making it easier to find out what terms people are using. For example, typing in “best shoes” brings up predictions for “best shoes for plantar fasciitis,” “best shoes for standing all day” and “best shoes for nurses.” Based on these suggestions, you might surmise that many searchers are interested in buying supportive shoes that can relieve pain or help with specific foot problems. The “People also ask” box displays questions that are closely related to the user’s search intent.

Optimizing Your Content

Developing New Content

Now that you understand the search intent of the people in your target audience, it’s time to optimize your content. One of the best ways to do this is to create landing pages that are optimized for commercial and transactional keywords. People “land” on these pages when they click links in emails, online advertisements and other online locations. On a typical landing page, you offer something valuable to entice the user to give you their contact information. Some business owners offer discount codes or coupons, while others promise to deliver white papers or case studies via email.

Blogging is also a great way to deliver content that matches the user intent for your target keywords. For best results, the primary keyword should appear in the post title, a few times in the body of the post and in at least one header. The title of the post is your first opportunity to convince the reader that your page matches their search intent, so it should be clear and concise. “A Guide to Buying Nutritional Supplements Online” is much better than “Nutritional Supplement Tips” because it’s likely to appeal to users with commercial intent and informational intent. It also clearly states what type of content you’ll provide.

Revising Existing Content

If you have existing content that doesn’t align with your target keywords’ search intent, go back and revise it. You may need to update an informational page to match a user’s commercial intent, for example. Revising content can be time-consuming, but it’s important to update your pages as much as possible. Just changing a few words here and there isn’t likely to change the content enough to make it match a different type of search intent. At Crowd Content, we have teams of experienced SEO content writers available to help you create new pages or update existing ones.

Changing the formatting on your existing pages can also help you do a better job matching user search intent. Incorporating keywords into your page titles, headers and descriptions give potential customers a quick overview of what each page has to offer, making it easier to convince them that the content meets their needs.

Benefits of Matching Search Intent

Matching search intent has several benefits for your business. Google’s predictive tools make it easy for the search engine to understand if your optimized content is closely related to other queries. If you focus on matching user intent, your site may show up in the results for more searches. Optimizing your content based on keyword search intent also helps reduce bounce rates. If a visitor comes to your website and the content doesn’t match their intent, they’ll probably click the back button. Once this happens, it can be difficult to convince them to come back. If the content matches their search intent, they’re more likely to stay a while and read what you have to say.

In some cases, optimizing your content for search intent makes it more likely you’ll be featured in Google’s snippets. These snippets have premium positioning at the top of the search results, making your site much more visible to potential customers. Finally, you’re likely to get more page views if a visitor sees you’ve made an effort to match their search intent. For example, a visitor might enter your site on a landing page, click over to a blog post and then visit your contact page to submit a request for information.

Tools for Online Marketing

Online marketing tools make it much easier to identify appropriate keywords, determine the user’s intent for those keywords and optimize your content to appeal to your site’s visitors. The SEMrush tool is one of the most comprehensive as it helps users identify appropriate keywords, determine the user’s search intent for each keyword and optimize their content accordingly. SEMrush also takes the guesswork out of building links, creating a content marketing campaign and analyzing traffic.

Wrapping Up

Quality content is one of the most important aspects of a successful website. Blog posts, articles, case studies and other types of content position you as an expert and can help you match each user’s keyword search intent, giving you more opportunities to generate revenue. If you’d rather focus on SEO and web development, Crowd Content’s experienced writers are ready to create reader-friendly content that gets results

The post Optimizing Your Content to Match User Keyword Search Intent appeared first on Crowd Content - Blog.

Scaling is the key to a successful content creation strategy. Creative campaigns come in all sizes, from one-and-done landing pages to low-volume recurring blog articles to massive product description orders with tens of thousands of pieces to write. Projects can also suddenly ramp up or down, such as when a blog triples its volume or a retailer opens a new product line. Being the marketer who can handle that for a client is the skill set that keeps you growing.

What Is Content Scaling, and Why Is It Awesome?

Scaling is the ability to expand or contract your work volume as needed, ideally without your office erupting into panic, unexplained fires in the parking lot or dinosaur-killing asteroids hitting the Earth when the client orders a 10x increase in output. With a good plan in place to scale your content creation, you have the ability to get ahead of unpredictable changes and respond to anything the client needs.

Scaling content creation is part of an overall marketing strategy, and it helps to know what you’re doing from the outset. Something like 80% of B2B and 81% of B2C brands say they have a content creation strategy mapped out in advance of launching a project. Amazingly, the same survey found that more than half (55%) of brands admit they don’t have any way of knowing what a successful creative campaign looks like.

What to Look for in a Scaling Strategy

Good strategies to scale your content all have a few things in common. The best strategies take very little time to implement, guarantee consistent quality and have the potential to expand to meet increased needs quickly and affordably.

Tips to Scale Content Creation

While scaling your content creation is, indeed, awesome, how do you do it? Because changes in scale affect every part of the process, from initial planning to delivery of the finished product, your plan to scale should ideally take in every level. Here are some tips for planning and executing a scalable content rollout.

Stage 1: Planning Your Projects

Designing a scalable workflow starts with good planning in the early stages. The workflow you design early on will either save you or sink you later, when your needs expand. If you’re working with multiple clients, each of them probably has unique needs that don’t necessarily fit into a one-size-fits-all approach to project management. Keeping your project management loose and flexible, however, should give you the leeway you need to scale up or down.

This is where investing in good project management software is a lifesaver. You have a lot of options here. Excel and Google Sheets are decent mainstream tools to help you organize content calendars and export your publishing schedule. Excel has the advantage of being pretty much universal and accessible for almost anyone who’s used an office computer in the last 20 years. Sheets is a productive collab tool that encourages teams to work well together and push multi-stage projects along in a cloud environment.

CoSchedule is another superb project management tool you can use to plot whole campaigns and manage multiple creative teams. Operating in a secure cloud format, CoSchedule allows content creators and project managers to interact at every stage of a project, coordinate easily across projects and schedule deliveries and uploads to virtually any platform your clients are using. There’s even an option in the CoSchedule sidebar for creative workers to leave passive-aggressive notes to each other complaining about recent edits.

Planning Tips

• Settle on a project management tool and stick to it for nearly every client.
• Gravitate toward cloud and remote tools, since they probably have more space and scalability than your own systems.
• Develop a workflow that’s simple enough to explain to a child so educating multiple clients about your capabilities is easy enough to be a selling tool in itself.

Stage 2: Formatting and Such

It isn’t always possible to develop a standard format that your projects should take, but wherever you’re able to standardize, you should. Granted, a client with 150-word product descriptions is going to have different needs than a 1,200-word blogging client or a 10,000-word white paper client. Try to aim for a general format that assumes as little as possible about the specific needs of your clients and allows a maximum of later customization.

Formatting Tips

• Adopt a simple, standard format that works for any kind of content, especially when it’s going live on social media.
• If you have to specialize, go for multiple templates, one for each of your most common client orders.
• Adopt a format that can be changed on the fly or expanded to scale up on short notice. You can also use a format already available from your content creation partner if you’re working with a platform.

Stage 3: Actually Writing

Writing is the hardest part of writing. Producing the content your clients need is the heart of any creative project, and it’s not as easy as it seems. Your targets here are for high quality and the ability to expand as your projects scale up. While this seems like a contradiction, you actually have several options for how you want to approach it.

Writing Your Stuff In-House

If you’re working in-house, you’re probably using your own employees as creative workers. Keeping writers on staff lets you train and develop content creators the way you need them to work, but volume is limited and expanding is almost always slow and difficult.

Outsourcing to Partners

Many digital marketing firms partner with content creators from outside. This can be a relationship with a single marketing firm, or it can include individual freelancers working under contract. If you’re partnered with an outside firm, you have the same scaling limitations as if you hired your own talent in-house, just displaced onto a different company for hiring and retention. If you’re working with freelancers, you have a lot of potential to rapidly expand, but managing a growing freelance workforce gets unwieldy above a certain level.

Professional Content Creation

One of the best options for scaling your digital marketing campaigns is to establish a long-term partnership with a professional content platform. This can be one of the most productive options for marketers of all sizes. Creation platforms work by recruiting and screening large numbers of writers and editors, building teams you can work with and then making them available to work on your projects.

Working With a Platform for Creative Content

The advantages of working with a platform are huge, and they appear at every stage of the development process. A good platform offers support from a project manager during the initial planning stages, when your campaign is still of indeterminate size and scope. Working together, you and your contact at the platform can plan the work throughput, devise the instructions and formatting requirements and craft a set of instructions for the workforce to follow when the writing starts.

When you’re happy with the design and flow of your project, you can upload your clients’ inputs to the platform. If you’re working with a manager, you don’t have much else to do here; the platform can deliver your finished product by the project deadline in whole or in parts, whichever you need. Some platforms have a feature that lets you manage your own campaigns and export the finished products to your CoSchedule or other publisher’s account.

The unique workforce platforms use allows you to build and retain teams of workers who are experienced with your projects, direct order individual tasks to favored writers or open your project to every writer on the platform. A standardized screening system controls quality and diligence with this option, so you get consistently high-quality results.

Perhaps best of all, you can scale content creation on a platform basically forever, easily shifting between one-off jobs and gigantic projects that move hundreds of thousands of workpieces from development to publishing. Even if your volume is changing on a daily basis, you always have the right number of workers for any given project, exactly when you need them and at the price you’ve agreed to pay.

Tips to Scale Content Creation on a Platform

Working with a platform to scale your content creation can be tricky to start, but it grows on you. Just remember some of the industry best practices for consolidating projects and scaling content through your platform:

• Plan well: Platform staff are there to help you, and you probably need the most help during the initial planning stage for a creative campaign. Work with a platform manager to design the workflow and build your teams. You can also bring billing or quality assurance concerns to your contact for resolution. When you’re scaling up a project, don’t forget to let the platform know so you have the support you need throughout.
• Set realistic goals: Some projects have quick turnaround times, while others take months of planning. Likewise, some short, simple workpieces take minutes to dash off and deliver, while others may take days and require associated social media uploads to coordinate at launch. Work with your project manager to set realistic goals about what can be delivered and on what sort of timescale.
• Choose your teams: Working with a platform, you can choose who gets to see your project. Build a team with handpicked creators, or open your project to everyone with an acceptable level of skill who’s registered with the platform. If you suddenly need to scale up, you have your choice of adding more members to the team or putting out the call to all available hands.
• Scale up: Scaling is a unique advantage you get with a platform over creating content in-house or with your own freelancers. Because the platform recruits, trains and manages its own external workforce of contract creators, you have basically all the tedious personnel work lifted and none of the management responsibilities attached to what should be a clean project. Expanding a project on-platform is genuinely as easy as loading more orders into the system and waiting for the final drafts to clear edit.

Crowd Content has the workforce you need to power your biggest projects. Find out about the services we offer digital marketing and content creation clients here. You can also reach out and contact us to talk about how our workforce of thousands of writers, editors and other professionals can help you scale content creation as much as your clients need.

The post Tactics to Scale Your Content Creation appeared first on Crowd Content - Blog.

Can a piece of software really have this kind of impact? Absolutely. In this article, we’ll look at some of the features of content optimization tools and how they help accomplish your goals. You still need to lean on your creativity and expertise, but these platforms can fine-tune what you create for better search engine algorithms and content for your target audience.

Using Content Optimization Tools to Enhance Your Workflow

Consider what your content needs to accomplish to further your business goals. Your articles, landing pages, and white papers must:

• Surface in front of your target audience
• Encourage customers to visit your website
• Provide helpful information that solves their problems
• Persuade them to convert
• Communicate clearly and engage readers from beginning to end

If you’re doing it well, producing great content requires effort. This can be time-consuming when trying to stick to a regular publishing schedule. Content optimization tools can help you pick up the pace, assisting with:

• Keyword research. Find the keywords your audience uses and understand their search intent so you can create content that perfectly aligns with their needs.
• SEO optimization. Make sure you follow best practices for keyword usage, meta titles and descriptions, internal linking, and backlinking.
• Competitive analysis. Evaluate top-ranking pages to find opportunities to leapfrog competitors in the search engine results pages (SERPs).  
• Content ideation. Learn what topics to cover in your content to address the subject matter in depth. AI-powered platforms suggest relevant topics and generate content outlines in seconds.
• Content analysis. Most tools improve the readability of your content, pinpointing spelling and grammatical errors and suggesting ways to improve structure and flow.
• Performance analytics. Track metrics such as traffic, engagement, and conversions to ensure your content achieves its goals. This data shows where your strategy needs adjusting so you can fine-tune your tactics and improve results.

Content Optimization Tools to the Rescue

You may be wondering which optimization tools are best suited for your workflow. Some tools are weighted toward SEO and keyword research, while others are strong in AI content generation. We’ve evaluated some of the most popular tools on the market to give you a sense of the functionalities available:

• Semrush
• INK
• MarketMuse
• Surfer SEO
• Clearscope
• Topic
• Frase

Semrush

Semrush is widely recognized as one of the top search engine optimization tools on the market. It has over 55 tools and reports to help with keyword research, SEO, competitor analysis, and content marketing.

Key Features:

Semrush draws on its vast databases and SERP analysis to help with content optimization. The following tools are especially useful for shaping your content: 

• SEO Content Template: This tool generates a template for your content based on the search terms you input. It analyzes the top 10 ranking pages and offers guidance about keywords, word count, readability, and potential backlinks. You can also get insight into how your competitors use keywords as part of their on-page SEO.
• SEO Writing Assistant: You can connect this tool to Google Docs, Word, or WordPress to help you craft content in real-time. SEO Writing Assistant provides feedback on SEO optimization, tone, clarity, and originality. You can also turn to its AI features to help you compose or rewrite text.
• Keyword Overview: Understanding user intent is necessary to create valuable content. The Keyword Overview tool shows you user questions relating to each keyword. Consider answering these in your content to make your writing more informative and helpful.
• Backlink Analytics: Backlinks are external links that bring visitors to your site. These links signal to Google that your site is credible and valuable. Use the backlink tool to analyze the quality of your links and those of your competitors to improve your site’s backlink profile and authority.

Semrush also has robust performance-tracking utilities, making it an all-in-one tool for supporting your content strategy from start to finish. You’ll get the most value from Semrush when you leverage its content planning, creation, optimization, and analytics tools together. 

Pros:

• Extensive keyword and user intent data at your fingertips
• SEO, PPC, and social media features in one package
• Detailed yet user-friendly interface

Cons:

• More expensive than other tools if you only need basic features
• Limited data for search engines other than Google

INK

INK is an elegant yet mighty app that combines OpenAI’s generative AI with an SEO assistant. It’s focused primarily on content creation, analyzing search engine results in real-time to guide you in writing competitive content.

Key Features:

• Content planning: INK suggests relevant keywords for your topic, grouping terms with similar search intent. Use these topic clusters as the basis for your content strategy.
• Competitive analysis: Find out what topics your competitors cover in their articles and the ones you’re missing.
• Search engine optimization: Get tips for bringing your page up to par for on-page SEO, including meta tags, headers, and image alt-text.
• Content creation: Ask INK to create titles, lists, social media posts, calls to action, introductions, conclusions, and product descriptions. Be sure to refine the content to meet your particular goals and ensure it conveys your brand voice.
• Visual asset creation: INK also creates AI images to enhance your written content, reducing the time it takes to get your content ready to publish.

As you write in INK, the app compares your content to top-ranking pages and gives you a score. Your score increases as you implement INK’s recommendations. The company claims that content with a 97% or higher score is four times more likely to rank in the top 10 on Google.

Overall, its extensive AI functionality sets INK apart from similar tools. While the app provides comparable utility to Semrush’s SEO Writing Assistant, it also gives you access to recipes, which create specific types of content from minimal input. 

Pros:

• Content scoring to help you easily gauge whether optimizations are worthwhile
• Detailed insight into what you should write about and how to target topics
• AI-powered features to simplify content creation

Cons:

• Suggested optimizations sometimes impact the flow and voice of content
• Limited free features

MarketMuse

MarketMuse leverages artificial intelligence to streamline the research, creation, and content optimization process. The platform analyzes your content against the competition to reveal opportunities, and uses highly accurate topic models so you can write the best possible content.

Features:

The following MarketMuse applications help tailor your content for search engine rankings and audience engagement:

• Questions: Use MarketMuse to generate a list of questions people often ask about a target keyword to shape your content to meet audience needs.
• Research: Find topics related to your focus keyword to add depth to your content. You can also discover keyword variants to help build topic clusters.
• Compete: Leverage a visual representation of keyword research to identify must-have topics and ways to differentiate your content.
• Connect: Build an internal linking strategy using suggested anchor text and matching URLs to enhance user experience.
• Optimize: Maximize the impact of your content by incorporating AI suggestions and aiming to achieve a target score.

MarketMuse is especially powerful if you want to gain an edge over rivals. The Competitive Content Analysis tool identifies topics and keywords missing in your competitors’ content, giving you the scoop on quick wins. The platform also has tools that can help you track the performance of your content against competitors and find gaps in the market.

Pros:

• Comprehensive content analysis features
• Competition analysis to find gaps in the market
• Can run audits of entire websites

Cons:

• More expensive than some other tools
• AI-driven content recommendations require careful consideration

Surfer SEO

Surfer SEO is a suite of AI-driven tools that helps improve your website’s visibility in the SERPs. It analyzes on-page SEO factors and provides actionable recommendations for planning, writing, and verifying content.

Features:

Surfer helps get you from ideation to publication. The platform’s main tools include:

• Outline Builder: This tool synthesizes information about your target audience and keyword topic, providing a detailed content outline, including headings and questions. You can use the output to plan content and write briefs.
• SERP Analyzer: Learn about the characteristics of pages featured in the SERPs and the correlation to actual rankings. The analysis includes over 500 factors, including visibility, traffic, backlinks, word count, titles, image alt-text, page speed, and structured data. 
• Content Editor: The content editor works in real-time as you write, offering suggestions about readability and flow. Most recommendations are based on currently ranking pages and SEO best practices. The tool scores content out of 100, which some users may find more intuitive than Semrush’s quadrant chart.
• Content Audit: You can also use Surfer to review previously published content for improvement. It will determine if the content is up to date and relevant and detect SEO errors. This helps to improve your keyword position.

When you’re ready to publish, Surfer’s verification tools provide a final quality check and scans for plagiarism. If necessary, you can revert to previous drafts using version histories, which helps larger teams collaborate more effectively. 

Pros:

• Comparison of content to top-performing articles
• SEO audit capabilities
• Easy to use

Cons:

• Suggestions based on existing content, ignoring the role of off-page SEO
• Limited off-page SEO utilities compared to other tools, such as Semrush

Clearscope

Clearscope helps marketers, SEO specialists, and content creators to publish high-quality, search-engine-optimized content. The platform provides more extensive keyword analysis than most tools. It also offers detailed reporting features that let you track content performance. Performance analysis is one of the most important — and often overlooked — aspects of content marketing.

Features:

Clearscope’s data-driven features support your workflow from the research to the content upload phase:

• Content grade: Clearscope assigns a letter grade to your content based on SEO best practices and recommendations to improve your score. Suggestions are based on an analysis of high-ranking pages and help enhance the value and relevance of your content.
• Competitor analysis: The tool collects data from top-performing content in search engines to give you competitive insight. You’ll get information about topics that aren’t being covered by your rivals to help identify opportunities.
• Content briefs: When unsure how to approach a new topic, use Clearscope to generate a brief. AI automates most of this process, suggesting relevant keywords and linking opportunities to help get you started.
• Readability analysis: Like other tools on our list, Clearscope assesses the readability of your content to enhance user experience. Its readability metric is based on the Flesch Reading Ease score and assesses how easily your content can be understood. You’ll get suggestions on sentence length, structure, and other elements that impact clarity.

This platform integrates directly with Google Docs and WordPress for added convenience. This makes it possible to handle most aspects of content creation in one place without copying and pasting.

Pros:

• User-friendly interface
• Keyword research and competitor analysis tools
• Detailed content brief ideation

Cons:

• Expensive compared to other SEO tools
• Limited internal and external linking guidance
• Few collaboration features

Topic

Topic is a content planning and drafting tool. It focuses on content ideation and offers robust SEO research capabilities.

Features:

Topic offers fewer optimizations than other platforms but shines in its research and analysis tools.

• Research Consolidation: Starting with a focus keyword, Topic scours three pages of Google search results to help you determine what to cover in your content. It suggests relevant headings, valuable questions, and additional keywords to ensure your content surpasses the competition.
• Gap Analysis: Topic’s AI technology identifies informational gaps within your existing content, providing recommendations on enhancing its value and authoritativeness.
• NLP Analysis: The platform analyzes top-performing pages in Google using natural language processing, identifying related subjects and questions that can make your content more comprehensive.
• Focus Keyword Analysis: The platform also suggests topics based on keywords, helping you determine user intent.

Once you have an outline, Topic grades your content during the writing process, providing instant feedback and actionable suggestions. This saves you from making extensive edits later.

Topic also prioritizes user intent throughout the content optimization process, ensuring your content aligns with audience needs. For example, if someone searches for “jaguar,” do they want to know about the animal or car? By analyzing what searchers want from a particular keyword, Topic helps you create a more satisfying user experience. 

Pros:

• Easy to use
• Research features help round out content outlines
• Integrates into Google Docs and WordPress

Cons:

• Dependent on AI-based optimization recommendations
• Lacks off-page SEO capabilities

Frase

Frase describes its content optimization tool as a form of smart AI. It uses natural language processing and content templates to enhance your writing. This generative AI is paired with extensive research and fact-checking capabilities, making the output less prone to errors and hallucinations.

Features:

Along with its unique smart AI templates, Frase offers essential SEO features, including:

• SERP research: The tool distills key data from the top search results for a particular keyword. It provides information on word count, domain ratings, search volume, and competition metrics to help you determine which keywords are worth targeting.
• Outline Builder: Frase’s simple drag-and-drop Outline Builder lets you generate briefs from scratch or SERP data. The tool recommends headlines, topics, questions, and statistics that are useful to include.
• AI writer: The AI writer tool creates content based on formulas that match the tone and requirements of various types of copy. This enables you to create high-converting copy, FAQs, and engaging introductions easily.
• Content optimization: After completing your draft, adjust your copy to improve your Frase quality score. This score reflects user intent and value, indicating whether your content is helpful based on what Google prefers to rank.

Pros:

• Unique Answer Engine tool helps you rank for snippets and other search features
• Extensive SERP research and competition analysis capabilities
• Relatively inexpensive for solo use and small projects

Cons:

• Depth of features may carry a learning curve
• Limited technical and off-page SEO toolset

Comparing SEO Content Optimization Tool Features

Combining AI and Human Oversight

AI-enabled optimization tools can help you target your audience, improve content quality, and speed up the writing process, but there’s another ingredient that can put you over the top: your unique brand voice, creativity, and knowledge.

As more marketers rely on AI to support content creation, there’s a risk that all content starts to sound the same. AI content can rank in Google in theory, but remember that search algorithms reward content that provides a superior user experience and demonstrates E-E-A-T. Focus on creating content that sparks curiosity, offers unique perspectives, and draws on real-life examples and expertise. This type of content will resonate naturally with your audience and perform well in search engines.

Create Content That Ranks

Whipping up effective content is no easy task, but content optimization tools can streamline the process. While using technology to accelerate your research, ideation, and writing is important, it is also essential to have a skilled writing team pulling the pieces together and making your unique content shine.

Crowd Content’s writing services are another great tool to have in your arsenal. With over 5,000 expert wordsmiths in our ranks, we can connect your business with the perfect freelancer to help grow your content marketing strategy and drive more traffic to your site. Contact us today to get started.

The post Content Optimization Tools: What They’re For and How to Choose One appeared first on Crowd Content - Blog.

One way to stand out from the crowd is to hire subject matter experts (SMEs) or interview them for your publications.

What are subject matter experts and why are they more important than ever for marketers? Keep reading to find out.

What Are Subject Matter Experts?

A subject matter expert is someone who has highly specialized knowledge in a particular industry or field of study. SMEs often work on large projects in the information technology, engineering, and legal fields, but you can find them in almost any professional setting.

Copywriters and journalists also consult SMEs when drafting articles, reports, case studies and technical or scientific content.

Here are just a few of the ways subject matter experts use their expertise:

•Doctors, nurses and other medical professionals often serve as expert witnesses in medical malpractice cases.

•Workplace safety experts use their knowledge of OSHA guidelines to protect employees against work-related accidents.

•Data analysts rely on SMEs to help them identify trends in large sets of data. SMEs can also help data analysts better understand the metrics that are most important in a particular industry.

•Manufacturing companies often hire outside engineers to optimize new product designs or turn manual assembly processes into automated ones.

•Many companies hire software developers to solve complex problems or help them choose new software packages based on custom business requirements.

Increasingly, SMEs are also playing a significant role in content creation and SEO.

Why Are SMEs Important for Content Creation and SEO?

To drive traffic to your website and convert visitors into paying customers, your content must be both interesting and accurate.

Google is increasingly valuing E-A-T (expertise, authority, trust) when determining search rankings, so having SMEs involved in your content creation can really boost SEO.

Readers can be even more discerning than search engines. If a reader catches you in a mistake, they’re less likely to buy from you. Working with subject matter experts can help you avoid costly errors and ensure your content is as relevant to readers as possible.

How Can SMEs Help With Content Creation?

SMEs can help you with the following types of content:

Articles: A subject matter expert can review your draft and make sure the content is accurate. You can also contact SMEs and ask them for quotes to incorporate into an article. Incorporating quotes from experts shows your readers you’re willing to go the extra mile to deliver high-quality, authoritative content.

Case studies: A case study is a great way to show prospects how your firm’s products or services have benefited your existing customers. Case studies usually describe a problem a customer was having and explain how a company’s product or service solved that problem.

They combine business facts with storytelling to create a compelling narrative that can be shared with potential customers. Working with a subject matter expert can help you make the case study as persuasive as possible without compromising quality.

White papers: A white paper can help you explain product features and benefits to prospective customers. Subject matter experts provide valuable input to ensure technical jargon doesn’t get in the way of helping prospects understand your value proposition.

Buying guides: If your company sells high-tech products, working with a subject matter expert can help you publish high-quality buying guides. These guides educate readers and help them understand why they should purchase one product over another.

These are the 4 most common content types that SMEs work on. But, SMEs add value to any type of content where E-A-T is important.

SMEs for SEO

Search engines prioritize unique content. A SME may be able to help you come up with an interesting angle for an article or alert you to a new trend in the field before everyone else starts covering it, helping you drive more visitors to your website.

A lot of content optimization tools guide SEOs to create content that covers topics and search terms that already appear in content ranking well in Google for a given search term. That can lead SEOs to create very similar content to their competitors. SMEs let you add truly original content by leveraging their unique knowledge and skillset. That can set you apart from the pack, and on its own may boost rankings.

SMEs are a valuable resource for companies that publish medical, legal, technical or scientific content. Even if you vet your freelancers carefully, a generalist may struggle to explain complex topics to a lay audience. SMEs can read through each article and make sure that every detail is accurate, enhancing your site’s authority.

Google (and other search engines) ultimately want to serve the best content to satisfy a searcher’s query. It makes sense that expert level content is more likely to do that, and Google uses various ways of measuring how effective your content is at helping its users.

Working with SMEs also creates opportunities to add expert bylines to your content. These expert bylines can help you attract backlinks from other sites. Because SMEs have expert insight, they can help you create truly unique content rather than rewriting what’s already out there. And, other marketers want to link to authoritative sources so having bylined, expert level content can be hugely beneficial in driving links.

All of this adds up to a much higher E-A-T score. In SEO, E-A-T stands for expertise, authoritativeness and trustworthiness. While not officially a ranking factor according to Google, empirical evidence suggests that higher E-A-T does help you rank better for competitive search terms.

How to Position Yourself as a Subject Matter Expert

Here are some tips for becoming a subject matter expert:

1. Commit to continuous learning. No matter how much experience you have, there’s always something new to learn, especially if you’re in an industry characterized by frequent change. Sign up for professional associations, attend workshops and take online courses to keep your knowledge and skills as current as possible.

2. Start developing your own ideas. The more you experiment with new developments in your field, the more innovative you can be. You’ll also gain new knowledge and skills that you can share with others.

3. Build a strong social media presence. If you don’t already have accounts on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook, sign up as soon as possible and create profiles highlighting your credentials. Once your accounts are all set up, spend time sharing content and having discussions with other people in your industry.

4. Start sharing your expertise. Networking via social media is great, but it’s not the only way to share your knowledge and skills with others. Consider running a workshop, presenting at a professional conference or teaching a class in your area of interest. Starting a podcast or an educational YouTube channel is also an effective way to spread the word about your expertise.

5. Create a writer biography (bio). Not only does your bio explain your credentials, but it also provides a quick summary of your accomplishments. Your bio can be shared online, helping you promote your brand even when you’re busy doing other things.

What Crowd Content Is Doing to Connect with Subject Matter Experts

Crowd Content works with expert writers across a variety of subjects to produce high-quality content for businesses of all sizes. We regularly work with SMEs in specialized fields to ensure every piece of content gives readers a positive impression of our clients.

If you have a limited budget, we can incorporate quotes from experts or have SMEs review your drafts before you publish them. To find out how to work with one of our expert writers, visit the Crowd Content website.

The post Looking for Ways to Increase Your Site’s Authority? Try Working with Subject Matter Experts appeared first on Crowd Content - Blog.

Most popular types of content

The best websites create a mix of different content types to keep their readers interested. While there are hundreds of different types of web content, these 50 in-particular are our favorite types of digital content.

1. Articles

This type of web content develops an idea and incorporates interviews, quotes, and data to support the article’s hypothesis. Articles are usually long-form content, between 1,000 and 3,000 words.

2. Blog posts

Blog posts typically range between 500 and 750 words, focusing on a variety of topics. Some of these topics can include news in the industry, bios of industry leaders, reviews of new products, and more.

3. Surveys

Adding surveys to your content arsenal can gauge your readers’ interest and to increase reader engagement with your brand. Surveys are also fun for the reader and is one of the more interactive content types.

4. Quizzes

Quizzes are another way to engage your reader, by having a question on one page and the answer on the next, which adds extra potential for ad revenue and click-throughs.

5. Photos

Images help make your content more visually appealing, and contributes to the overall user experience. Additionally, optimizing your photos with alt-text and captions to your images can even help with your rankings on Google Images.

6. Videos

Using videos is a great way to diversify your content and add visual interest to your pages. These can be videos you take yourself or videos from sources like YouTube or Vimeo. (Just make sure to give credit where credit is due.)

7. Case studies

Case studies outline how a particular individual or company used a product or service. Seeing a real person use your product can help potential buyers see themselves using it and, thus, encouragement to purchase from you.

8. Website content

Website content encompasses many content types. This can include website pages detailing your individual services, products, people, locations, etc.

9. Guest blogs or posts

Find guest writers from notable people in your industry, writers of other blogs or websites that focus on your topic, or on social media pages or groups related to your topic. Adding a few posts by guest writers adds a new voice to your pages and helps to bring in new readers to your website.

10. Interviews

First person interviews with people actively involved in your topic is a way to share different points of view with your readers and expand their knowledge of your topic. You can ask readers to submit questions in advance to increase your user engagement.

11. FAQs

Everyone has questions. A FAQ (frequently asked questions) page is one of the best content types to help address common questions all in one place. This helps you better manage your time and not have to answer the same question over and over again.

12. Press releases

Press releases from companies in your field make good fodder for your blog or website. Just make sure that you don’t copy the release directly to avoid a duplicate content penalty from the search engines.

13. Announcements

Do you have a new employee, product, or even some new swag? Let your readers know about it in an announcement post. Market your site as the place readers can learn about news from your company before any other source.

14. Contests

Contests are a good content type for getting new readers and to keep your readers coming back to your site. Like quizzes, this repeat traffic is good for increasing your click-through rate.

15. E-books

Having an e-book that your readers can download, or read directly on your site, can expand on your regular content types with more in-depth information. Promoting an e-book is an excellent way to promote your company as an expert in your field.

16. Landing pages

Landing pages are designed as the first page that a site visitor sees when they take an action like clicking on an ad. It’s important that these remain your highest-quality pages, so they make a good first impression to the user.

17. Infographics

Out of all the other types of content, infographics remain one of the best at providing a visual representation of data or information to your reader. Plus, they also just look cool and can often illustrate a point much more clearly than if you explained the point with only text.

18. White Papers

A white paper is a concise report that seeks to educate the reader about a complex issue, which you can post directly on your site or offered as a download. Like e-books, they help to establish your site as a leader in your industry.

19. “How to” posts

Readers like to learn how to use a product or accomplish a task. (Look at the proliferation of YouTube videos of this ilk.) “How to” posts can range from recipes to instructions on installing a hot water tank.

20. E-courses

E-courses are designed to teach your reader about your topic. Generally divided into several sections, the reader can complete one each day or week. This type of post is another good way to get readers to return to your site.

21. Lists

Lists are, arguably, the most popular type of web content. Whether it’s “9 ways to attract a new boyfriend”, “The 10 hottest guys on the PGA circuit” or “5 ways to cook acorn squash”, there’s just something compelling about a list. List headline are very clickable and a good way to introduce new readers to your site.

22. Reader questions

You probably get questions from readers. Rather than answering the same questions privately over and over again, it just makes sense to create a page or two of real questions you’ve received from readers. (Just make sure that you get permission from the reader if you use their question verbatim.)

23. Roundups

Roundups are compilations of links to other sources posted elsewhere on the internet. This can include things in the news related to your industry this week or something like the best places to shop online for a product related to your industry. Make sure not to copy text from the other site, just the link, to avoid having your SEO suffer.

24. Book reviews

Every topic has books written about it. Share with your readers the ones you’ve read and what you thought of them. (Just make sure not to spoil any plot twists or surprises.) You might even ask readers about their favorite books to increase engagement.

25. Product reviews

One of the perks of having a successful blog or website is that companies are often willing to send you a product to review at no cost to you. You can also purchase a product to review (with none of the potential ethical problems of accepting gifts.)

26. Predictions

Look for this web content type towards the end of the year, when everyone with a web address is offering their opinion about what will happen in the new year. Prediction posts are fun and, until January 1st, you can’t be wrong. This is another way to encourage readers to view you as an industry expert.

27. Demos

Similar to “How to” posts, demos show how to use a specific product and can be a useful way to market your wares.

28. Live streams

Live streams, such as Facebook Live broadcasts, let your readers attend events, board meetings, product unveiling, contest drawings and other happenings right from their homes or office. This is another good way to engage site visitors.

29. Awards

Awards are a fun way to get other businesses and individuals involved in your site. “Best of 2021”-type awards can start with nominations, move on to have readers vote on the top picks and end with an announcement of the winners. This type of content not only engages readers, but draws in fans of the nominated companies that may not have been familiar with your site before.

30. Guides

Guides are a comprehensive look at a topic or destination. For example, if you have a site about Ohio travel, you might create a “Travel Guide to the Lake Erie Islands”. With several of these pieces, you can market your website as a comprehensive resource about your topic.

31. Templates

Templates are examples for readers to use to create their own documents or crafts. This type of content might be a sample resume format or how to write a letter of recommendation.

32. Check lists

Checklists are useful lists that help readers prepare for something. For example, a checklist might be “things to pack when you hike the Appalachian Trail” or “Documents to take when you apply for Social Security benefits”.

33. Memes

Memes are just silly, funny content that combine images with jokes, sarcasm or political humor.

34. User-generated content

Why not have your readers create your content? These can be blog posts, videos, images or full articles. Just make sure that you post guidelines and that your readers understand that you have editorial control.

35. Research and data

Recent statistics and research can make for interesting content and help your site provide industry-leading resources for your readers.

36. Maps

Maps are useful to illustrate where a user can find an attraction, business or other sites.

37. Essays

If your website is like most sites, the bulk of your content is informational and written in the second or third person. Essays give you an opportunity to share your own, first-person experiences and create a rapport with your readers.

38. Event calendars

Event calendars list things that are happening during a particular time frame. For example, you might post “What to Do in Nashville in May” or “Stephen King Book Events in the Midwest”. These can be a useful resource and bring new visitors to your site.

39. Giveaways

Do you have some swag you’d like to offer your readers? You can ask them to take an action like signing up for your newsletter or liking your social media page in order to qualify for the freebie.

40. Social media posts

Posts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn are generally shorter versions of the content on your website. You can include a link to your longer content, so readers can learn more if they are interested in your topic.

41. Podcasts

Podcasts are increasingly popular. These might be interviews or instructional talks and work to support your other marketing efforts.

42. Testimonials

Share what your readers and/or customers are saying about you with a testimonial page. (Again, it’s important to ask permission before you use someone else’s words.) Testimonials are great from a marketing point of view because they come from (presumably) unbiased third parties.

43. Industry news

This might be a roundup, a recap of a press release or an article about a single happening in your field.

44. Glossary

This type of content page is especially useful if your industry or topic has a lot of jargon within your field. Prevent readers from becoming confused by creating a glossary page that defines these terms and then link back to it when you use those terms on other pages.

45. Comparisons

A type of product review, comparisons show a side-by-side look at two or more products. This might be a face-off between a Ford Mustang and a Chevy Camaro.

46. Best practices

This type of page gives readers advice on how they can make their life a little easier. It’s even better if you can include how your product or service can make a reader’s life easier.

47. Recipes

Who doesn’t like cooking? Just make sure that you only post original recipes. While ingredient lists aren’t subject to copyright restrictions, the instructions on how to cook a dish are.

48. Cheat sheets

Everyone likes to learn about an easier way to do something. Again, see if you can work this around one of your products or services.

49. Screenshots

Screenshots are images of what’s on your computer screen at a particular moment. These are useful when you’re trying to explain to readers how to do something on their computer.

50. Calculators

Calculators can be useful for things like figuring compound interest, paying off a mortgage early or estimating retirement income.

Creating Quality Content with Crowd Content

We understand that creating quality content can take you away from your other job responsibilities. That’s why Crowd Content matches quality writers to website and blog administrators like you. We have more than 5,000 professional writers waiting to create top quality content for your web pages.

To learn more about adding diverse types of content to your website, blog or social media pages, feel free to contact us today.

The post 50 Popular Types of Web Content for Driving User Engagement appeared first on Crowd Content - Blog.

Differences Between Proofreading vs Editing

When you write a book, essay or product description, it needs to be as smooth as possible, so readers can focus on your message. Editing and proofreading are essential in achieving your best work.

• Editors aim to improve writing quality with an in-depth review of structure and language. This process can require substantial writing and rewriting. Well-edited documents flow smoothly for maximum impact on the reader.
• Proofreaders make sure the final product isn’t marred by surface errors like typos and spelling. A minor spelling mistake doesn’t change the meaning of your work, but can distract readers and affect your credibility. Proofreading comes after editing is complete and should require only minor corrections.

The two tasks can overlap. Both editing and proofreading can catch spelling and punctuation errors, for example.

What’s Editing?

You’ve researched your article, created an outline, and put together a first draft. Now you’re ready to edit your document. For best results, editing is done in phases to target different levels of detail.

The three main types of editing are set out below, although people may use different terms to describe them.

Developmental Editing

The first step of editing is structural. Developmental editing looks at the overall organization of ideas in your document. You may have to move sections around, so the article is more logical to read, or write additional paragraphs to add context for clarity.

In some cases, an editor may feel an entire section is off-topic and delete it. It’s never fun to see hard work vanish in an instant, but tough edits may be required to make your writing concise.

If you’re editing your own work, you may want to create a post-draft outline. This visual representation helps you look at the big picture to see if your article is organized in a way that makes sense.

Developmental editing is also called a manuscript critique, structural editing or content editing.

Substantive Editing

A substantive edit concentrates on flow. Editors assess the transitions between sections and paragraphs, and the effectiveness of the writing. You might need to:

• Vary sentence length to help with pacing
• Eliminate redundancies
• Get rid of fluff and clichés
• Smooth over awkward phrasing
• Rework sections for consistent and appropriate tone

Substantive editing is also referred to as stylistic or line editing.

Copyediting

Copyediting is even more detail-focused than substantive editing. During this stage, you’re reading the manuscript line by line and digging into sentence structure and the mechanics of the English language.

A copy editor looks for style and grammar issues such as:

• Subject-verb agreement
• Active and passive voice
• Capitalization
• Word choice (clarity and appropriateness)
• Variations between American, British and Canadian English
• Adherence to style guides

This level of editing can also include fact-checking.

What’s Proofreading?

Once editing is complete and all stylistic issues are addressed, it’s time for proofreading. This is the final piece of the editing puzzle. Think of it as the quality assurance check before you release an article or book into the world. At this point, you shouldn’t be making significant revisions — if you are, you’re still editing.

Proofreaders need an eagle eye to pick out the extra space after a period or a missing Oxford comma. Spellcheckers can catch some grammar errors, but you should always review the text yourself.

A Few Proofreading Tips

At the proofreading stage, you’re ensuring every word is right and that you’ve followed appropriate style guides. Check for:

• Typos
• Spelling mistakes
• Spacing errors
• Punctuation mistakes
• Repeated or missing words
• Inconsistencies in formatting titles and lists

Many little errors can crop up, so a systematic approach to correcting mistakes is required. Consider proofreading once to correct spelling and punctuation, for example, and then again for formatting. You can also make a proofreading checklist. Are your headers capitalized consistently? Is there a colon before every bulleted list?

Applying Proofreading and Editing Skills to Tasks

The editing process usually looks different for an author writing a book compared to a freelancer working on short articles at home.

• Authors with a publishing house may have a large support team, with various individuals managing structural edits, copyediting and proofreading
• A small publication may only have the resources to assign one editor to a project
• Freelancers working directly with clients may not have the services of a team of proofreaders and editors

Find a Proofreading and Editing Routine That Works For You

All writers should learn the difference between editing and proofreading and be as detail-oriented as possible. If you’re not comfortable with your skills, you can choose to use an editing service.

Either way, it’s important for freelancers to write high quality, error-free content that’s ready to publish. Since you’ve made it to the end of this article, you now know this means:

1. Looking at the overall organization and structure of your article
2. Focusing on the flow and transitions between paragraphs
3. Examining the mechanics of each sentence and word
4. Proofreading

Depending on your comfort level and the complexity of the project, you might combine steps instead of tackling each separately. But if you do try to edit and proof simultaneously, make sure you don’t introduce new errors. One final proofread is always recommended before you hit that submit button.

Write With Crowd Content

Whether you’re an experienced writer or just launching your freelancing career, put your skills to work with Crowd Content. Our clients are hiring writers of all levels to create articles, blog posts, product descriptions, landing pages, and white papers. Grow your career with the support of our team, and get started with Crowd Content today.

The post Proofreading vs Editing for Clarity appeared first on Crowd Content - Blog.

But what are white papers, and why are they important — and are they better than orange papers? We’re kidding about that last part: orange papers aren’t really a thing.

In this post, we’ll talk about why white papers should be part of your SEO strategy. Then, we’ll teach you how to write a white paper. Let’s go.

What is a White Paper?

In a nutshell, white papers are special reports — they’re concise, authoritative guides about complicated topics. They’re meant to inform readers or help readers make decisions, and they provide the publishing organization’s unique viewpoint on the subject at hand.

Generally speaking, white papers are pretty short. Most contemporary white papers are between 3,000 and 5,000 words long — about the length of a regular editorial — with the most important information written on the first page.

“If you don’t get to the point on page one, you can forget about influencing any significant decisions.” ~ John Kilpatrick – Greenfield Advisors

Interestingly, the very first white papers definitely weren’t short. Coined in Britain about a century ago, the term “white paper” first appeared in 1922. The Churchill White Paper incorporated nine documents and a memorandum, so it read more like a book. Its name came, quite simply, from the color of the cover.

One common characteristic of white papers is they’re often packaged as PDFs complete with appealing visuals that help communicate key points. They can serve as powerful lead magnets that many marketers use for mid-funnel conversions.

Why White Papers Matter

Perhaps more than any other type of sales funnel content, white papers present opportunities for thought leadership. If you’ve done your own research, you can use it to prove the points you make; if possible, incorporate other data as well, to showcase widespread support for your idea.

In short, white papers are great mid-funnel content that let you help your customers while demonstrating your brand’s unique authority in your field.

Articles and blog posts live on your site, so they’re readily available to anyone. White papers are a little different: they’re essentially premium content. Most organizations turn them into downloadable PDFs — visitors have to provide email addresses and other information to receive download links.

When they’re put behind a “download wall” like this, white papers make a great email collection tool (AKA lead magnets).

Used as part of your sales funnel, collecting emails from people who download your white papers lets your grow your email list of mid-funnel prospects that you can market to.

In time, you can use that list to create a segmented email marketing campaign — and segmented campaigns generate a great click-through rate. These campaigns can help nudge your leads further down the funnel towards conversions.

White papers take a little more time to research and write than regular articles, so they often cost more per word. And, you’ll likely spend more time designing the final product. Having said that, these multi-purpose documents provide a great return on investment, so they’re worth the extra outlay.

“A good white paper helps decision makers make smarter decisions. A white paper should provide new knowledge and new insights that are not available anywhere else.” ~ Mark Kantrowitz, Savingforcollege.com

How They Help Your Sales Team

Sales people ultimately want to help their leads make the best buying decision to solve the challenges they face. As marketers, creating white papers provides sales people with a powerful resource they can share with their leads to help them learn more about the challenges they face, and hopefully how your solution can help.

That’s called sales enablement and it’s very valuable for your company.

Types of White Paper

White papers are an essential part of any successful sales funnel. There are three main types of sales and marketing-centric white papers:

• Backgrounder: These documents go behind the scenes to reveal the publishing organization’s methods for success — and they sometimes also include case studies. Background white papers work well in the awareness stage of a sales funnel.
• Listicles: These white papers share exclusive tips and tricks for business success, or provide readers with a step-by-step list of instructions. Numbered list white papers work well in the interest and evaluation part of a sales funnel.
• Improved solution: These guides define problems, describe typical solutions and then offer the publishing organization’s innovative new solutions. Improved solution white papers work well in the interest and evaluation part of a sales funnel, and also at the desire and action stages of a sales funnel.

When they’re well written and positioned, all three types of white paper generate leads. Some white papers use the numbered list and the improved solution format to create an all-in-one document.

How to Write a White Paper

“Think about who you’re going to write this document for. Are they physicians, lawyers, marketers, media professionals, artists? Know why they would want to read your white paper.” ~ Julien Raby, ThermoGears

White papers build trust and help to establish your company (or you) as a thought leader. If they find the information in your white paper helpful, people often come back for more. You can use the following formula to write your own white paper:

1. Think about your narrative arc. Every good story has a beginning, a middle and an end — and characters that stay constant throughout — and the same applies to a white paper. Create an outline before you begin.
2. Perform consumer research. Your white paper has to be compelling — people have to want to read it. Tools like SurveyMonkey can help you create consumer questionnaires to determine whether people find your white paper topic interesting.
3. Find a content gap. Don’t write about ultra-popular subjects — instead, concentrate on a niche to insert your paper into a content gap.
4. Define your readership. Are your readers industry professionals or are they regular consumers looking for a quick fix? Use relatable language and stay away from jargon — unless you’re speaking to the tech crowd.
5. Write a great hook. Draw readers into your guide with a compelling first sentence, and then continue with a well-defined intro. Include a short summary of the paper’s content and tell your audience how they’ll benefit from reading it from start to finish.
6. Make your paper valuable. Now’s the time to show off your unique insight. When white papers include lots of useful information, they get shared — and your brand gets noticed.
7. Keep things interesting. Stay away from dry, formal language. Write in a relatable way and include anecdotes if you can.
8. Wrap things up with a great conclusion. Reiterate some of the topics you covered and end with a call to action.
9. Check your work. Never, ever upload a white paper — or any other type of content — without proofreading first.

“Make your white paper as appealing as possible with the inclusion of visuals – charts, images and tables that provide proof of your central solution or problem. If you’ve undertaken primary research, these charts and graphs will be your main weaponry to sway your audience.” ~ Collin Matthews, Cookwared

Boost Leads With a White Paper

White papers are an integral part of online success. You can use them to generate leads and position yourself as an industry authority. Three different types of white paper exist: behind-the-scenes documents, listicles and improved solutions — and they work well at various stages of the sales funnel.

If you’re interested in a white paper for your site but don’t have the time (or the inclination) to write one yourself, Crowd Content can help. Our thousands-strong team of dedicated writers create sales funnel and SEO-centric content seven days a week. To find out more, get in touch online or call us on 1-888-983-3103 today.

The post Thought Leadership Central: How to Write a White Paper appeared first on Crowd Content - Blog.

The experts behind content analysis tool Yoast say a standard page should be at least 300 words long and cornerstone content should start around 900 words. HubSpot looked at its data and puts the ideal blog length at 2,100 to 2,400 words. Widely ranging expert numbers do little to help you understand the real answer to how long should a blog post be, but we’ve got actionable advice to help.

How Long Should a Blog Post Be?

The answer is: as long as it needs to be to meet your objectives. Understanding why you’re writing blog posts is the first step in determining the best word count.

One of the problems with numbers published by expert SEO and marketing firms is that they tend to arrive at those answers in the same way. They look at pages showing up in the top spot on Google, figure out the average word count of those pages and consider that a good place to start.

But word count doesn’t directly impact your SEO performance. You could write 2,000 words and never show up on the first search results page if you’re not attending to other factors. And SEO performance isn’t your only objective, so it’s important to take all your goals into account when determining word counts.

We reached out to marketers to find out what word counts are working best for them for different objectives. Find your main goal for content in the list below and see what word count ranges might help support it.

1. Ranking on Search Engine Results Pages: 2,000 to 2,500+ Words … Usually

Writing blog posts that rank on Google is very important for most businesses. When considering ranking content, it’s important to realize that you’re competing with other content that already ranks. With that in mind, you need to look at a number of different factors:

1. Word Count
2. Matching Search Intent
3. Topic Comprehensiveness
4. Visual Appeal
5. Behavioral Metrics (bounce rate, time on page)

You should always focus on writing for the user first, so matching their search intent and comprehensively covering the topic is key. But, there’s a lot of evidence that ensuring your content is longer than what’s already ranking can help you rank better.

Our advice is to know what word count the top search results clock in at and ensure you’re at least in the ballpark.

How Do You Benchmark Your Content?

The simplest way to find out how many words blog posts that rank well in Google are is to look at the top results for your targeted search term and note their word counts.

That’s also the most tedious way.

Fortunately there are many great tools available that automate benchmarking for you, suggest word counts, and also give you reports on what topics to cover to deliver comprehensive content.

All of these tools can help with your benchmarking:

• MarketMuse
• Ink
• Surfer SEO
• SEMrush
• Content Harmony

They all work slightly differently and produce different output, so be sure to find the one that works best for your workflow.

But, How Many Words Should I Really Write?

The old “it depends” answer isn’t always satisfying, so we will mention some benchmarks we think are worthwhile.

When it comes to showing up in SERPs, Goldie says 2,000 to 2,500 is a sweet spot, saying studies have shown diminishing results as content drops below the 2,500 mark. But he was quick to point out that there are always numerous outliers here — that means content that performs well consistently falls outside this word count range. So, it’s important to note you don’t have to write 2,500 words to drive SEO performance for a blog.

That being said, Cannon gets even more specific. “The best-ranking articles on Google are most usually 2,450 words. If you want to place well on search engines and get thousands of novel readers per month, this is the most suitable length to write,” he says.

But Cannon also has caveats. “Make sure you write regarding a topic that audiences are actually searching for.”

2. Getting Social Shares: 1,000+ Words

Julian Goldie, CEO of the Goldie Agency, specializes in helping websites rank higher on Google. He says, “Studies have found an association between content that’s 1,000 words or more and the number of social media shares those posts collect.”

According to Goldie, content that gets a lot of social shares is engaging and draws the user in, but it’s not too long. People can read it in a short amount of time, increasing the number of people who get through the entire post and think to share it with their friends.

One thing to keep in mind here is that content with great visuals is more likely to be shared as well. Don’t just add 1,000 words of text and expect visitors to click your share button. Add interesting images, graphics and interactive elements to boost your shares.

Some of the most shared types of content on social are very visual heavy like listicles and quizzes. You can definitely learn from their example.

3. Building Links: 750-1,000 Words

Goldie said that research has found that, “blogs with approximately 1,000 words gained more backlinks than their much more pointed and much longer counterparts.”

He points out that word counts ranging right around the 1k mark are succinct while offering enough to be valuable. And value is what gets people to link to your pages. You’ve explained something they want to share with others, provided expert opinions that are unique or helpful or offered entertainment that can’t be found elsewhere.

Will Cannon, CEO of Signaturely, says you can go a little lower with word count and get the same results if your posts are high quality. He points out that around 750 words is the “standard length for professional journalism,” and says that he, “finds it’s rather good for obtaining links from different bloggers.”

4. Drive Comments and On-Page Engagement: 75-600 words

If you want to drive on-page engagement to create community or shepherd people down your funnel, shorter content may be better. Cannon says that very short posts are great for enticing discussions. These aren’t going to drive a lot of social shares and Cannon admits that they’re terrible for SEO. But when you leave things unsaid, your readers are likely to show up to pitch in.

As you get toward the higher word counts in this range, such as 300-600, you get content that drives comments as well as potential for social shares and SEO.

5. To Build Authority

If you want to build authority in your niche, you need to write content that’s long enough to cover the topic in a user-friendly and effective way but short enough to be as accessible as possible. Write as much as you need to comprehensively cover your topic and no more. Fluff can destroy user experience.

Jeff Proctor, the co-founder of DollarSprout, provides a concrete example to demonstrate that the piece with the most authority isn’t always the longest post. “At the time of this writing,” he says, “the number one result for ‘federal tax brackets’ is 755 words. The number seven result is 1,230 words. The number one result is more user-friendly and less confusing.”

It’s interesting to note that often times when you aim to build authority you’re sharing some unique knowledge and expertise you have. Often there won’t be a ton of existing content that also has this information, so you might not need to focus on word count as much.

6. For Sales Enablement

Sales enablement content is any content that helps your Sales team nudge prospects towards converting. That could include blog posts, case studies, videos, white papers, testimonials, and many others.

Good content that addresses customer challenges and pain points is like gold to your Sales team. By having blog posts for each of your target persona’s biggest pain points you can empower your sales team to help prospects understand how to solve these challenges (hopefully by leveraging your service!).

That can really help your team nudge prospects towards becoming customers.

When creating sales enablement content, word count tends to be less of a factor than with other objectives. Here, you really just want to ensure you’re writing enough to comprehensively tackle the pain point you’re addressing. That said, nine times out of ten you’re still going to want a reasonably long blog post and want to understand how it stacks up to competing content.

8. For Sharing News

One common type of blog post is when you share company news with your audience. This can often overlap with the other objectives we’ve listed here (you want social shares, people to comment on your post, etc) but more often than not you’re not competing with any other existing content out there.

The news is all about specifically happening at your company. So, just write as much as you need to convey that news while encouraging your audience to comment, share, and interact with it.

Word Count Isn’t the Only Factor That Matters

Proctor says, “It’s no longer an arms race among publishers for who can create the longest, most in-depth piece of content but rather who can create the best experience for a user’s search query. These are not always the same thing. People don’t like sifting through a 3,000-word post when their question can be answered in a well-constructed” shorter post.

To sum up his comments: User experience, comprehensiveness, and quality count more than the number of words you’re using.

How to Choose Word Counts for Your Post

Avoid choosing a one-size-fits-all length for your posts. Choose word counts for each post or each type of post. You might start by:

• Looking at the top results for your target keywords. See if there’s a trend in how many words are being used.
• Using an SEO or content optimization tool such as MarketMuse, Ink, Surfer SEO or SEMrush to get recommendations about how long your word count should be.
• Choosing a word count range from this post that aligns with your main objectives for a post.
• Understanding your budget and how much you have to pay per word for the quality you want.

But don’t tie yourself down to those answers. If you can cover your entire topic in a high-quality, user-friendly way with more or less words, start there. You can always come back and make changes to your content to add or remove word count in the future.

Am I Competing?

We’ve mentioned competitive benchmarking several times in this post, but it bears repeating. You should always ask yourself if your blog post will compete with other existing content.

If it is, like when you’re trying to rank for SEO, then you absolutely have to understand the competitive landscape for your content. That means understanding what word counts posts that are doing well feature, but you also need to look at other elements as well.

If you’re not competing, like in the case of writing a post about a company news item, then you don’t necessarily need to focus on word count as much.

Most Posts Have Multiple Objectives

We’ve listed out multiple reasons why you’d want to write a blog post here. Just remember – they’re not mutually exclusive. Most posts satisfy multiple objectives.

Focus on understanding what objectives are most important to you and prioritize writing an appropriate word count for those. For content where you’ll be competing with other content, understanding the competition should really guide your targeted word count.

Fill Your Word Count Goals With Quality

Whether you’re looking for 75-word pithy posts or 3,000-word thought leadership, Crowd Content can help. Reach out to find out how we can help or sign up and start placing blog post orders today.

The post How Long Should a Blog Post Really Be? appeared first on Crowd Content - Blog.

Whether you want a quick grammar check or higher-ranking content in search engines, you’ve got plenty of writing tools to choose from. We asked a few marketers, writers and SEOs to tell us about their favorite copyediting software.

Choosing the Right Copyediting Software

Artificial intelligence is making copyediting software incredibly robust. Unlike rule-based grammar checkers, software that uses AI can analyze enormous amounts of writing to learn patterns in sentence construction. It uses these patterns to suggest ways of refining your writing.

Powered by machine learning, copyediting software can perform simple and complex tasks:

• Correct spelling and grammar mistakes
• Identify hard-to-read sentences
• Detect passive vs active voice
• Help with word choice
• Recommend changes in tone
• Evaluate reading level
• Detect duplicate text or plagiarism
• Make SEO keyword recommendations

The best copyediting software depends on your needs. Are you looking for a quick grammar check or real-time feedback? How important is SEO? What type of content are you creating?

You may want a couple of programs on hand based on the task.

Let’s see what professional writers, marketers and SEOs are using when crafting content.

Copyediting Software for Overall Style

Grammarly

Grammarly has been around for more than a decade, and, like other programs, has evolved in sophistication. It can detect spelling and grammar mistakes and suggest ways to improve style, clarity and tone.

Rebekah Edwards, co-founder of Content Creators Agency, has been using the software for several years. “It definitely doesn’t catch everything, but [does] help catch common errors that I otherwise miss when proofreading content,” she says.

The tool works with a variety of programs, including Messenger, Slack, Google Docs and MS Word. “The best thing about Grammarly is how well it integrates everywhere I write,” Edwards adds.

Features of Grammarly

• Free version offers basic writing suggestions and checks spelling, grammar and punctuation
• Premium version detects plagiarism and evaluates clarity, tone and word choice
• Business version lets you create a company style guide for teams of up to 149 employees

ProWritingAid

Cornshaw ranks ProWritingAid as his favorite copyediting software because of its flexibility.

“I can start with a short check of my grammar, style and structure,” he says. “The tool can highlight overused words or repeats, and suggest alternatives to make the text smooth. It helps improve readability.”

Edwards also reaches for ProWritingAid, highlighting its in-depth reports that focus on different elements of your writing.

“Most reports are included in the free version and span helpful results from words I use too often to clichés,” she says. “I’ll be honest — my biggest struggle is not accidentally speaking in a passive voice. Both Grammarly and ProWritingAid help me catch those instances when I fall into old habits.”

While ProWritingAid is powerful, Cornshaw notes that speed can be an issue. “[It] can be a bit laggy sometimes and is not as fast and user-friendly as…competitors like Grammarly,” he adds.

ProWritingAid at a Glance

• Integrates with MS Word, Google Docs, Scrivener, Open Office and Final Draft. Browser extensions are also available.
• Generates reports focused on grammar, readability, consistency, sentence length, transitions and pacing
• Options for monthly, annual or lifetime subscriptions

Copyediting Software for Quick Grammar Checks

Slick Write

Julien Raby, founder of Coffee Works, tried several copyediting software programs before deciding on Slick Write.

“You just type your content right into the checker. The website will point out errors in grammar, spelling, structure, punctuation, tense and more,” Raby explains.

Raby likes the ability to choose what the software scans for, such as passive voice, repetitive sentence structure or weak descriptions. You can do “an initial check for grammar and structure, and then a final check for spelling,” he explains.

Slick Write at a Glance

• Free web-based tool
• Provides a readability index
• Looks for variety in sentence structure and word length
• Highlights content that may be repetitive or difficult to read

Hemingway Editor

While Cornshaw turns to ProWritingAid for detailed edits, he opts for Hemingway Editor for a quick readability check.

“The tool gives you a readability score from 1 to 15 and highlights sentences that are hard to read,” he says. “Basically, it’s a fast way to see which parts of my paper might require additional work.”

Hemingway at a Glance

• Free web-based tool
• Simple interface that groups similar mistakes by color
• Highlights hard-to-read sentences and passive voice
• Identifies weak phrasing or word choice

Copyediting Software for SEO

PageOptimizer Pro

Some copyediting software helps optimize content for search engines. Brennen Bliss, CEO of PixelCutLabs, uses PageOptimizer Pro when creating copy for client websites.

“POP actively provides SEO recommendations as you write,” explains Bliss. “[It] has contributed to our content’s ability to rank in position four, on average, in the first 90 days after publishing.”

PageOptimizer Pro at a Glance

• Analyzes content against top competitors
• Makes suggestions about keywords, LSI terms, word count and header tags
• Recommends where to use keywords in copy (title, subheadings and main content)
• Scores content based on keyword usage
• Monthly subscription packages

Surfer

John Bedford, founder of Viva Flavor, worked in SEO and content strategy before launching his own editorial business. He creates and edits his work in the Content Editor module of Surfer.

“Much of my work involves hitting the same beats as the competition who are already ranking in Google,” he says. Bedford notes it’s important to not let content optimization tools control your writing, but is seeing tangible SERP results. “I’m finding the first pass of each long-tail article now has a much higher chance of breaking through the noise,” he says.

Bedford monitors his content and reworks it over time. “Those that don’t perform within a reasonable time period get a second or third pass. Each time, I focus the scope of the article to more closely touch on the broader search intent of any given topic. Slowly but surely, you’ll see performance gains,” he says.

Surfer at a Glance

• Integrates with WordPress and Google Docs
• Compares keywords on competitor pages to develop content guidelines
• Additional tools to help plan content strategies
• Monthly subscription plans

Copywritely

Cornshaw’s favorite copyediting software for SEO is Copywritely. He uses the software to check for keywords, duplicate content and redundant phrases. “It’s easy to use and is pretty cheap,” he explains. “Just $18 a month for 50 checks, which is enough for me.”

Copywritely at a Glance

• Scans content with the goal of ranking higher in search engines
• Makes suggestions for replacing low-quality content
• Identifies plagiarism and keyword stuffing
• Provides readability scores
• Grammar checker
• Monthly plans for personal, business and enterprise use

Still Looking for Your Favorite Copyediting Software?

If the programs touched on in this article aren’t right for you, here are a few more to consider. It may take a few tries to find the copyediting software that works best for your needs.

• Ginger Software
• PerfectIt
• WhiteSmoke
• LanguageTool
• WordRake
• INK

Crowd Content offers flexible content solutions for small businesses, agencies, brands and retailers. Contact us today to learn how our professional freelance writers can provide you with high quality content that’s ready to publish.

The post Favorite Copyediting Software of Marketers and SEOs appeared first on Crowd Content - Blog.

With so much information available online, it’s easy to get overwhelmed, especially if what you see isn’t useful or relevant to your needs. That’s where content marketing comes into play.

Content marketing is the process of creating and publishing original content that helps people in your target audience solve problems or learn more about the topics that interest them. Done right, content marketing can help you stand out from the crowd and attract more customers to your business.

But what is original content? And how do you create content that appeals to members of your target audience? We put together this guide to help you understand the importance of content marketing and learn how to develop content that gets results.

What Is Original Content?

Original content is content that’s never been published before. “Never published” doesn’t mean you took a piece of existing content, rewrote it in your own words and published it on your website. It means the content contains new ideas. 

Audience members are smarter than ever. They know when a company uses the same content over and over again or copies content from other businesses in the same industry. It’s especially obvious when publishers use spinning software or hire inexperienced freelancers to rewrite existing content. In many cases, the spun content is riddled with errors and doesn’t make any sense to a human reader.

If you want to use original content to attract new audience members and retain loyal customers, you need to be strategic. Think about how you can make your content different from what everyone else is publishing. If you achieve the right balance of originality, relevance and usefulness, you’ll be able to grow your brand and set yourself apart from your competitors.

Types of Original Content

Blog Posts

WordPress.org defines a blog as a website that maintains an “ongoing chronicle of information.” Blog posts are typically displayed in reverse chronological order, ensuring visitors see the newest posts first. When used for marketing purposes, a blog post should relate to your business in some way, whether you publish product reviews, interviews with industry experts or company updates.

White Papers

According to Michael Stelzner, the author of Writing White Papers: How to Capture Readers and Keep Them, a white paper is a persuasive essay that promotes a product, service or viewpoint. A white paper should provide useful information to help the reader make a decision, solve a problem or understand more about a complex issue. This type of original content is often used in business-to-business (B2B) marketing.

Case Studies

Case studies tell a story about a company and its products or services. In marketing, case studies are used to highlight how a company helped one of its customers achieve a goal or solve a problem. Like white papers, case studies are often used for promoting B2B products and services.

Emails

Companies use email marketing to connect with audience members and promote their products, services and events. Each email you send is a piece of original content that can be used to help your business increase customer engagement or reach your sales goals.

Videos

The Content Marketing Institute defines content as “relevant and relatable” information shared with prospects, customers and other stakeholders. Using this definition, videos definitely qualify as a form of original content. Video interviews, tutorials, Q&A sessions and product reviews can all be used to promote your business online.

Podcasts

A podcast is a series of audio episodes focusing on a specific theme or topic. As long as the audio is relevant and relatable, it counts as a form of content for marketing purposes. Podcasts can help you grow your business by making it easier to connect with audience members.

Website Copy

Website copy is text that tells site visitors what they need to know about a company or brand. Every page of your website, from the Home page to the About Us page, has some type of website copy on it. For best results, your website copy should contain multiple calls to action.

Infographics

An infographic is a visual representation of data. In other words, an infographic combines text and images to provide an easy-to-understand overview of a complex topic. Infographics are especially helpful if you’re writing about a technical topic and want to highlight relevant statistics for your audience members.

Social Media Posts

Social media posts are short pieces of content shared on platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. These posts typically contain text, photos and videos, all of which can be used to engage your audience and help you achieve your marketing goals.

Content Repurposing

Just because your content has to be original doesn’t mean you have to create something new from scratch every day. Content repurposing refers to taking a piece of existing content and turning it into a different type of content. Repurposing saves you time while helping you reap the many benefits of content marketing.

You can repurpose your content in a few different ways.

• Podcast episodes: Some people love listening to podcasts, but others prefer to read blog posts and reports. If you have a podcast, you can repurpose the content by publishing transcripts or turning the information from each episode into a series of articles or blog posts. You can also record your podcast sessions on video and then publish those videos on YouTube, giving you access to a whole new audience.
• Blog posts: Just as some people prefer to read, others prefer to listen to podcasts or watch videos. You can repurpose your blog content by turning each post into a short podcast episode or creating a video to add to your website or YouTube channel.
• Videos: If you’re involved in business-to-business marketing, you can repurpose your videos by turning them into presentation slides with audio narration. 
• Articles: Repurpose your articles by pulling out interesting facts or statistics and incorporating them into an infographic that can be shared on social media. Another option is to take a series of articles and compile them into an e-book or case study that can be shared with audience members.

The SEO Benefits of Content Marketing

Search engine optimization is essential for growing your business. If you’re not familiar with the term, search engine optimization—often shortened to “SEO”—is the process of making your site more visible to potential customers. Done right, SEO can help you improve your site’s search engine rankings, making it easier for people to find your business online.

Search engine algorithms consider hundreds of factors when determining how to rank web pages. Many of these factors relate to the quality of the content you publish. 

• Readability: Your content should be easy for the majority of readers to understand, so Google uses readability as one of the factors it considers when determining how a web page ranks for a specific keyword. You don’t need to write content on par with “See Spot run,” but you should strive to make your writing as accessible as possible for people with different educational backgrounds and life experiences.
• Length: Content length is another quality signal that can affect your SEO. Top-ranked pages usually have more than 1,000 words of text. If you decide to write long blog posts or articles, make sure you use short paragraphs, bulleted lists, bold text and other formatting elements to make the content easy to read. 
• Keywords: Keywords are words and phrases that help readers and search engines understand what your content is about. Incorporating keywords into your online content can help you improve your search engine rankings, but don’t get carried away and start inserting keywords into every sentence.

Site Authority

When people visit your website, they want to know they’re reading accurate content written by a real person with some experience on the topic. Original content not only helps you establish your website as an authority in your industry, but it also has a significant impact on your overall rankings in search engines. There are a few ways to increase your site authority with content marketing:

• Stay focused. Remember that your content needs to be relevant to your target audience. If you visited a recipe website that also had blog posts about shoes, books and quilting, you’d probably wonder if the site’s owner really had any experience with cooking or recipe development. Your content should focus on a single topic or theme to show your expertise.
• Choose your platforms wisely. Your website isn’t the only place to publish content. If you decide to use other platforms, make sure you choose sites where your audience members are most likely to hang out. It does you no good to publish high-quality content on LinkedIn if most of your audience members spend their time on Instagram and Facebook, for example.
• Put your audience first. Content is for your audience, not for you. Focus on providing value with every piece of content you publish. You can add value by helping people solve their problems, teaching audience members a new skill or requesting feedback from customers.
• Keep it consistent. If your opinion changes every time the wind blows, your audience members will have a tough time believing you’re an authority in your industry. When you create new content, try to be as consistent as possible—don’t write one thing on Monday and something completely different on Thursday.
• Make connections with community members. Ultimately, you want to grow a community of people who love your brand. The best way to do this is to build genuine relationships with audience members. You can do this by answering questions, soliciting feedback and engaging in other forms of interaction.

Building Links

Backlinks are essential for establishing your site’s authority and showing the search engines your content is useful and relevant. In this context, links are like votes. With millions of pages online, the fact that someone would take the time to link to one of your pages shows Google and Bing that you’re publishing valuable information. This is like a “vote” for your page over the thousands of other pages on the same topic.

Backlinking also helps you establish your authority in a specific niche. The more links that point at your web pages, the more opportunities you have to attract new visitors and encourage them to join your community.

Social Signals

According to Google employees, social media usage isn’t one of the factors that go into determining how well a page ranks. But that doesn’t mean you should ignore social media completely. Using Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and other platforms can help you position your company as an authority in your industry. It may also help you build backlinks and drive more traffic to your site as social media users share your content.

Increased Engagement

When you publish original content that adds value, people are more likely to visit your website, share the content with their contacts and interact with your brand on social media. This creates a domino effect. The more engaged people are, the more they’ll share your content, drawing in new audience members. Here are some tips for creating shareable content:

• Tell a story. Instead of pushing people to buy your products or focusing on your company’s operations, your content should tell a story. Start out with an introduction that hooks the reader and makes them want to keep reading. Then make the story as relevant as possible to your audience members. 
  
• Feature one of your customers. People are more likely to share content if it mentions them by name. To take advantage of this instinct, publish case studies or other materials to highlight what your customers are doing.
• Incorporate something controversial. Every industry has at least one heated debate raging at any given time. The GIF format was developed in 1987, and people are still arguing over how it’s pronounced. Pick a side and write a blog post or email defending your position—people who agree with you are likely to share the content.
• Solve a problem. The more useful your content is, the more people are likely to share it. One of the best ways to make your content useful is to tell readers how to solve a problem. For best results, the problem should be something that’s really annoying or would cost a lot of money to fix if they had to hire a professional. If your solution works, the people who benefited from it are likely to share the content with their friends and family members.

Building Thought Leadership

Thought leadership shows people you have a certain level of expertise in a particular industry or topic. Original content can help you build thought leadership by giving you ongoing opportunities to demonstrate your knowledge and skills. This approach has several benefits:

• Increases credibility
• Establishes you as a reliable source of information on a topic
• Inspires people in your audience
• Encourages people to be innovative
• Creates opportunities to specialize in a narrow niche

Creating Useful Content

What’s useful to you may not be useful to your audience members. Before you start creating new content, it’s important to connect with people in your audience and find out what they want you to cover. If your business is new and you don’t have an established community, there are a few simple ways to find out what kind of content people want.

Keyword Research

When people search for information online, they use specific words and phrases (keywords) related to their topic of interest. Keyword research tools help you find out exactly what keywords people are using, making it easier to choose a topic for your next blog post or video.

To use one of these tools, you typically enter a broad keyword that relates to your business. For example, someone who runs a shoe company might enter “shoes” as the broad keyword. After you enter a keyword, the software gives you a list of related keywords entered by search engine users. In the shoe example, the software might tell you that people have been searching for “best shoes to wear in cold weather” or “best shoes for hiking on a flat trail.”

Once you know what search terms people are using, you’ll have a better understanding of what kind of information your audience needs.

Forum Posts

Many forums allow users to create anonymous accounts, giving them the freedom they need to discuss sensitive topics and share personal information. These forums are a great source of information for anyone tasked with creating original content. Next time you need ideas, visit Reddit or another forum, enter your topic into the search bar and read through relevant posts to find out what kind of content you can create to provide value.

Social Media

People love to share their opinions on social networks, even if those opinions sometimes ruffle feathers. If you’re in a content rut, take a look at your Twitter feed or scroll through Facebook to see what people are talking about.

Industry Surveys

If you work for a B2B business, industry surveys are a great source of information. Many surveys ask respondents to indicate what problems they’re having or what tools they need to make their jobs easier. You can use the responses to outline white papers, articles, e-books and other types of content.

Q&A Websites

Like forums, Q&A websites can give you valuable insight into what kind of information people need to improve their lives. Users often share a little bit about their background and then ask specific questions about their circumstances. You can use these Q&A posts to create content outlines or come up with ideas for an FAQ page related to your topic.

Top Tips for Creating Original Content

Before you start writing, podcasting or shooting videos, take time to do some research. Your content won’t help you much if it’s outdated or irrelevant to the people in your target audience. First, make sure you understand your audience members. You need to know exactly who they are. Are they men or women? Teenagers or adults nearing retirement age? Wealthy individuals or people who need financial guidance?

Next, research your competitors to find out what they’re doing. It’s extremely important not to copy content from a competitor’s website or follow the exact same marketing plan as your closest competitors. You’re just looking for ideas to help you develop your own content marketing plan. Read through the content and figure out what’s good about it and what could be improved. Think about how you can fill in gaps and add value for your readers.

If you have an established audience, send out a survey or publish a poll on your social media accounts. Ask people what they want to see from you in the coming months.

Stay Focused

It’s easy to get bogged down with research and trying to figure out exactly how each platform works. Instead of trying to be everywhere at once, pick one platform and stick with it for a while. Experiment with your content to find out what gets the most comments, likes and shares. Do some split testing to see if one approach is more effective than another. Once you have one platform under control, you can move on to the next one and start experimenting there.

Collaborate With Others

Creating content can be a lonely endeavour, but it doesn’t have to be. Reach out to other people in your industry and suggest cohosting a webinar, sharing each other’s content or contributing to a long article. When you collaborate with others, you both benefit, making collaboration a great way to grow your audience.

Wrapping Up

It’s clear that original content is essential for success in today’s business landscape. If you don’t have experience creating and distributing content, the thought of using content marketing to grow your business can be a little daunting. At Crowd Content, we have teams of experienced freelance writers available to create articles, e-books, white papers and other content to help you attract new audience members and position yourself as an authority.

The post Tips for Creating Original Content to Grow Your Audience appeared first on Crowd Content - Blog.

You might be thinking… “What is evergreen content, and why do I need it?”

Hint: Evergreen content attracts continuous organic traffic and loyal readers.

How does that sound?

In this post, you’ll learn what evergreen content is, why it’s important, and how to create it.

Let’s get started!

What is Evergreen Content?

You’re probably wondering, “Why is evergreen content, ‘evergreen’?”

The name, evergreen content, was inspired by evergreen trees. Unlike most trees, evergreen trees don’t lose their leaves. In fact, their leaves stay green and healthy all year round.

ALSO – Find the best content writers to craft evergreen content for your website

Like an evergreen tree, evergreen content is long-lasting and fresh. This type of content is useful for years to come.

What Evergreen Content Is Not

Before I talk about what evergreen content is, let’s go over what it isn’t:

• The latest statistics – “The Top 20 Pop Music Statistics of 2020”
• The most popular trends – “Content Marketing Trends to Look Out for in 2021’
• Breaking news – “New Evidence of Life on Mars”

The topics above are time-sensitive—it covers short-term trends and the latest news. Evergreen content, on the other hand, covers long-lasting content:

• How-to posts – “How to Build an Online Business”
• Checklists – “10 Ways to Teach 3rd Graders Math”
• Resources – “How to Cite Your Research Paper in APA Format”

On that note, evergreen content is relevant, optimized, and authoritative. I’ll go over each description below.

Relevant

Think of evergreen content as a dictionary. Sure, dictionaries aren’t used every day, but you’ll always refer back to it.

Scott Johnson, the owner of Pitt Home Buyers, explains this further, “When creating evergreen content for your website, be sure that you’re speaking on a topic that will continue to be relevant in the future.”

With that said, evergreen content doesn’t have an expiration date. Your readers should always find it useful.

It covers topics with long-term value for the present and future.

Optimized

Evergreen blog posts are revisited, shared, and searched on Google. They attract links from outside sources and drive traffic.

Simon, the founder of CatchWorks, touches on this, “Evergreen content often forms the core foundations of an SEO content strategy.”

Evergreen content gets high rankings because it covers ongoing trends and search terms. Your readers are constantly searching for these topics—it never goes out of style.

With that said, your topic must be covered comprehensively. Your readers should leave your evergreen content with all of their questions answered.

In SEO, you can do this with:

• Consistent high search-volume topics
• Targeted keywords and semantic keywords
• On-page SEO optimization (i.e. keywords, linking, format)

Step 2 of this post goes over evergreen SEO in more detail.

Authoritative

Imagine going into an auto shop to buy a new car.

When you talk to a sales person, would you rather them…

A) Only know a few details about the cars they’re selling

B) Use their knowledge to answer all of your questions and help you find the perfect car

You’d probably go with B, right?

Authoritative figures attract the most customers because they’re credible, knowledgeable, and helpful. Evergreen content always covers a topic extensively. When you do this, the reader will think of you as an authoritative source.

Scott adds another insightful comment about authority, “Evergreen content builds your credibility and helps your customers see you as an expert in your field.”

Evergreen content is the key to building trust and credibility with your business. And when a user trusts your business, they’re more likely to become a long-lasting customer.

Why is Evergreen Content Important?

Along with the traits above, evergreen content is timeless—as in, it lasts forever.

“Evergreen content that will stay timely for years to come will likely give you the most legs and ‘bang for your buck’ in terms of your marketing strategy,” says Samantha Russell from Twenty Over Ten.

Timeless content gives you infinite possibilities to skyrocket your organic search and become an authority in your space.

So… how do you make this happen? How do you create evergreen content?

How Do You Create Evergreen Content?

You can create evergreen content in 6 steps. Examples of evergreen content will also be included in this section.

1. Consider Your Audience

When you create content, you should always think about your reader first. If your readers aren’t interested in your content, it won’t deliver long-term value.

Tricia Harte from Digital Third Coast recommends asking yourself questions like, “What pages are they visiting on your website? What questions does your internal sales team receive from potential clients? What do you do (differently) than your competitors?”

Along with the questions above, here are a 4 ways to gather customer data and feedback:

Analyze Your Website

Your website gathers a ton of useful customer information.

Figure out what your readers find interesting with Google Analytics. Google Analytics determines your most popular content with the following metrics:

• Bounce rate – How long do users stay on your page?
• Page visits – How many users visit your page?
• Engagement – What content does your readers like most? The least? How can you turn them into evergreen content?

Execute Social Listening

Like your website, social media can tell you a lot about your readers. Social listening monitors both your social media channels and conversations within your industry.

You can monitor your own channels and analyze your most popular social media posts—which posts receive the most engagement? The least?

You should also consider your likes and comments. Who’s interested in your content? Do they have any feedback or questions for you?

Along with monitoring your posts, keep track industry trends:

• Follow hashtags within your industry – what topics are your audience talking about?
• Track your competitor’s social channels – What pain points are your competitors not reaching?

These insights help you dig deeper into your audience’s pain points and build relevant and authoritative content.

Ask Your Readers Directly

When in doubt, ask your readers what they want to see.

Build a survey and send it to your readers via email, or hold a Q&A session on Twitter. Your readers will appreciate you asking for feedback and recommendations.

All in all, your audience always comes first. Their feedback will steer you on the right path to evergreen content.

Implement Keyword Search

There’s a good chance you already use keyword search for all of your content.

Evergreen content, in particular, needs keyword search to find continuous trends. Remember, evergreen content never goes out of date.

Use the following metrics during a keyword search:

• Search volume

Make sure online users are searching for your keywords. The higher the volume, the better.

• Traffic

Assess how much traffic other top sites get with your keyword. High traffic usually means your topic is evergreen.

• Other keyword ideas

Similar keywords will help you brainstorm evergreen content ideas.

For example, “Wooden house,” may have a similar keyword like, “Paint a wooden house.” From here, you could write an evergreen post on how to paint a wooden house.

You can use a free tool like Keyword Generator to help you out. Plus, you can check out other ways to optimize your keyword search here.

2. Research Evergreen Trends

Evergreen content isn’t focused on current trends, but continuous trends. Remember, evergreen content is relevant—relevant content stays on top for both the present and future.

On that note, you can find long-term evergreen content ideas with Google Trends. Google Trends measure long-term online trends. We’ll use the term, “evergreen content” as an example.

The graph above shows you the search popularity of “evergreen content” over a span of 12 months.

At the top, you can customize the country, search type, category, and time length of your topic. You’ll get the most out of this tool when you tailor its features for your audience.

Plus, Google Trends will recommend other topics and keywords to use at the bottom of the page.

You can use both keyword search from step 1 along with Google Trends to gather long-term trends.

3. Write Cornerstone Content

Evergreen content is educational and engaging.

With that said, don’t expect to write a 500-word post and be done with it. Instead, create cornerstone content.

Also known as topic clusters, cornerstone content uses interlinked web pages to improve user-navigation and SEO crawling.

So… how does it work?

Imagine cornerstone content as a tree trunk. Cornerstone content covers one broad topic and interlinks to its branches, which cover related-topics.

Together, the tree trunk and its branches create relevant, optimized, and authoritative content—it’s evergreen.

You can check out this cornerstone article by Twenty Over Ten to understand how they work.

Along with internal links, cornerstone content includes the following features:

Credible statistics

Well-researched stats are up-to-date and relevant. Avoid using statistics from questionable sites—you want to build trust with your readers.

Search for white papers and research journals within your industry for valid research. You can also create your own research with a personal study.

Quotes

Using quotes from other authoritative sources does two things:

One, they add different perspectives on your evergreen topic. The most informative pieces of content educate readers with different POVs.

Two, they build relationships with other professionals. When you quote a professional within your industry, they’ll take notice. You might even get a few shares.

Images

Images visualize your topic for your readers.

With that said, every photo should have a reason to be there. Random stock photos aren’t useful. Instead, insert screenshots to explain a step or sum up your article with an infographic.

As you write evergreen content, keep your audience in mind the entire time. Use cornerstone content to answer their questions and show them actionable steps to achieve their goals.

Plus, cornerstone content can be written in a variety of formats, as you’ll see in the next step.

4. Format Your Evergreen Content

Think back to the last time you read a textbook. You probably didn’t enjoy reading endless pages of small font, right?

Textbooks are intimidating—they created a belief that reading is hard and not fun. Luckily, you can format your content for your audience and Google.

Formatting your content benefits you in 3 of ways:

• It provides a welcoming environment for readers
• It helps Google crawl your site
• It can rank your content as a featured snippet on Google (you must also use schema markup, which you can learn more about here)

When you format your post, use headings, subheadings, and short paragraphs to separate blocks of text.

Along with formatting, you should create easy-to-navigate content.

John Matyasovsky, Digital Marketing Specialist at Roofing Webmasters, suggests adding a table of contents, “Readers can quickly access the portion of the document that most interests them.”

Here are 4 different types of evergreen content you can use to format your page. Click on each example to see each one in practice.

List Post

A list post is…well… a list. This type of content usually lists reasons, trends, tips, etc. about their topic.

Example: The Top Content Writing Skills Content Writers Need to Know

How-to Post

This type of post teaches your readers how to do something. They usually include a list of actionable steps.

Example: How to Write a Great Listicle for 2020

Guides

Guides cover everything you need to know about a general topic. They’re in-depth and answer any question your readers may have.

Example: Roofing SEO: The Definitive Guide

FAQs

Also known as, “Frequently Asked Questions,” a FAQ page covers common questions users have.

Example: Questions to consider when selling your house

Some formats will work better for you than others. Test out which ones are best for your audience and evergreen topic.

5. Promote Your Evergreen Content

You can write the best evergreen content ever, but it won’t be any use if nobody reads it. Optimized and relevant content is seen by current and future readers.

On that note, you can promote your post on and off of your site.

On Your Site

There are 4 ways to promote evergreen content on your site:

• Interlinking

Insert your new post’s link into other blog content. Better yet, add it to a cornerstone article.

I also suggest featuring your evergreen content to a service page. For example, if you provide SEO services, promote a blog post about SEO.

• Implement a side toolbar

Create a side toolbar on your site with a list of your most popular blog posts. Add your evergreen content to increase its visibility.

• Pop-up ads

You can also promote your posts with pop-up ads. An example is adding a top banner to your site. Insert a call to action with a link to your new post.

(insert a photo of a top banner example here?)

Off Your Site

Use time-sensitive content to promote your evergreen post.

For example, you could create an infographic and post it to your social media. The infographic will attract readers to learn more about your content.

Speaking of social media, this is the time to tag anyone you mentioned in your posts. Most likely, they’ll share your content and spread the word.

Other types of time-sensitive content include:

• Social media post
• An email newsletter
• Short blog post
• Video

As you promote your evergreen content, take note of where your blog post receives the most traffic.

Let’s say your post’s highest traffic was from Twitter. Now you know to promote more of your content there.

You can track this with any analytics tool, like Google Analytics.

6. Update Your Evergreen Content

The most important part about evergreen content is to update it. Updating your content keeps it relevant and maintains its organic ranking.

Tricia Harte from Digital Third Coast agrees with this, “Provide updates as they provide benefits to your audience. Meaningful updates give you a reason to promote them via social media and newsletters and re-engage your audience with your content.”

With that said, don’t let your content get old. Out-of-date content is no longer relevant, optimized, nor authoritative.

Here are a few ways to update your content:

Check Statistics

Statistics can be 1 or 2 years old, but any longer is outdated. Your readers are looking for the most current information out there.

Revisit SEO

Look at your meta description and keywords. Are they still relevant to search?

For example, you might find a new keyword to use within your content. Make sure to update your meta description as you make changes.

Repurpose Your Evergreen Content

You can use time-sensitive content to both promote and update your content. In this case, you can repurpose your evergreen post into another piece of content. This will target new readers and keep your content alive.

An example is repurposing your blog post into a video. You could embed your video within your post to attract visual learners.

You might be wondering how often you should update your content.

This answer depends on your content marketing strategy and analytics. On that note, measure your evergreen content results.

Analyzing your content helps build the most effective evergreen content for your business and readers. You can use the same metrics from step one:

• Bounce rate
• Page visits
• User sessions

Along with these metrics, you should analyze your SEO performance. If your rankings aren’t improving or begin to decline, you need to find out why.

Track your keyword competitors and use tools from Step 1, like social listening, to stay up to date with your audience.

When you track your results, you’ll figure out the best way to update your content and keep it timeless.

To Wrap Up

If you’re going to take anything away from this post, it should be this:

Evergreen content lasts forever.

Every step in this post will help you create timeless evergreen content in your industry.

Sure, writing evergreen content isn’t easy, but the long-term results are absolutely worth it. If you don’t have the time to build evergreen content, we’re happy to help you out.

ALSO – White Paper Examples & How to Advice to Drive Amazing Results

The post What Is Evergreen Content and Why Do You Need It? appeared first on Crowd Content - Blog.

Marketers that understand how to create content for every stage of the buyer journey know that leveraging different types of content is critical.

One of the most valuable mid-funnel content types you can leverage is the white paper. These are incredibly valuable resources for buyers who are looking to learn more, evaluate options, and ultimately help nudge them towards the decision stage of their journey.

But, white papers need to be amazing to accomplish this goal in a world where readers expect more and more of the content they consume.

In this post, we’ll go over what makes a good white paper and then highlight some great white paper examples you can emulate. 

White Papers at a Glance

White papers are in-depth explorations of a topic, written to provide a targeted audience with valuable, actionable content. A white paper differs from a blog post because it’s longer and more thoroughly researched, with a formal tone and usually packaged in a PDF file. 

This doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be engaging — it means the priority is giving readers authoritative information they can use to solve a particular problem.

Initially, a white paper was solely a government technical document that helped to gauge public reactions to legislative changes. Organizations and businesses now use them as part of their content marketing strategies to influence decision-makers. 

White papers can help you in the following ways:

1. Act as lead magnets that leads download in exchange for their contact information
2. Drive SEO results if published and indexed on your site (not in a PDF)
3. Establish you as an authority in your space

Why Are White Papers Effective?

A white paper is effective primarily because it communicates your expertise to other businesses and potential buyers and is a valuable asset that these people can use. 

Because your audience values them, you can write white papers with the aim of influencing b2b marketers or put them behind a sign up form on a landing page to generate leads or grow your subscriber base.

A good white paper contains unique, valuable information that your target audience of potential contacts would find difficult to find elsewhere. When you understand what your target market is looking for — you can preempt and exceed expectations by producing content the reader needs.

Good white papers address a common problem or challenge your audience is facing and provides a comprehensive solution. Spending time to understand what these challenges are and what questions your audience has is critical.

SIDENOTE – If you choose to publish your white paper, or a portion of it, ungated then your white paper can also help to drive SEO traffic. When you’re researching what topics you should cover, you should also find search terms that your audience uses in Google when trying to address the challenges you’ll cover. Be sure to build that into your content to capture valuable organic traffic. 

In the Inc. blog, Victor Ijidola points out two studies that back up how white papers improve marketing success. According to one by Eccolo Media, out of 10 types of content, white papers were ranked as the most helpful form to use in the initial sales phase. Furthermore, a survey by TechTarget reported that 91% of IT buyers consider a white paper to be the second most effective type of content to use in the first stage of buying — with product literature ranked first.

Harness the Broad Reach of Content Marketing

Blogs, case studies, eBooks, e-newsletters and infographics are just a few content types useful in content marketing. The acceleration of digital marketing and the growing influence and reach of technology means having a well-defined content marketing strategy is more crucial than ever. Its effectiveness lies in the indirect approach of becoming more than just a brand to consumers by adding value to their lives through content.

Social media and email marketing are particularly useful due to their prevalence in consumers’ everyday existence. Since it became the standard for people in our society to carry a smartphone, the reach of these channels has increased. These are great channels to distribute and promote your content.

Most people spend a significant portion of their day checking emails and scrolling through their various social media feeds for updates. If you’ve had a blog and noticed how effective it is as a means of engaging potential customers, creating a white paper would likely enhance your content strategy even further.

Ultimately content marketing needs great content to fuel it. You need content to promote and hook visitors in, who you can then nudge down your funnel by progessively showing them content that makes them more interested in your products or services. 

When it comes to mid-funnel and bottom of funnel content, white papers are amongst the best tools at your disposal. As you map out your funnel, be sure to identify what white papers you can create at these later stages to convert more of your traffic. 

Best Uses for White Papers

The modern buyer is savvy, and they understand that research is critical when they’re choosing which product or service to use. A well-written white paper feeds this thirst for knowledge while subtly positioning your solution as the definitive answer to their need. This is part of the reason why they’re so popular with workers and operators within the tech industry.

Often times these buyers will be researching products or services to solve a problem or challenge they’re facing. White papers that solve these problems are incredibly useful to potential buyers. 

White papers are also excellent tools for B2B marketers who are establishing themselves as thought leaders in their niche. You can expand your network and build awareness by inspiring fellow businesses with insightful and authoritative content which can lead to them contacting you when they need help that only you can provide. 

Your sales team will thank you if you have great white papers they can leverage. White papers perform a variety of useful functions throughout the sales process:

• White papers establish thought leadership and attract sought-after affiliates and partners.
• They teach potential customers and current clients relevant and valuable information.
• The content in a white paper is educational and not at all sales-focused.
• A business benefits white paper informs the reader about a product without using sales pitches.
• Technology benefits white papers are more technical and detailed about specific features.
• Product comparisons are popular types of white paper that give the audience impartial information to help them make a choice.
• You can generate leads if you put them behind a paywall or contact form — this can be especially effective if you already have a blog or provide content that people read regularly.

Know Your Target Audience

Before you start writing, you must develop a clear understanding of your audience. For example, if your subject matter is aimed at expert engineers, your content should be appropriately technical. On the other hand, if your audience is content writers — they’ll enjoy slightly more elaborate adjectives and fewer statistics. You should also reflect these preferences in the white paper design and layout.

Who Is Your Audience?

Firstly, ask yourself who you want to target. Build a profile of an individual representative (a persona) of your target audience and find out what they need. Search engine data gives business owners a uniquely honest and direct insight into the queries your audience has. You can also interview people in this audience, or ask your sales team what questions they often hear during negotiations. 

To write the best white papers, you’ll need to find out the questions your audience needs answering.

How Do Their Needs Align With Your Business Offering?

Now you’ve established the audience’s question; you must find a way of providing them with factual information that compels them to use your product or service to fulfill that need. Remember — it’s not a direct sell. You need to frame the solution as your brand, as opposed to explicitly pointing the reader towards it.

What Are the Main Elements of White Papers?

A captivating and effective white paper relies upon six essential elements:

• Captivating title and headlines: The title is the first opportunity to have to entice readers in. Clear and compelling titles and headlines keep the audience interested and provide markers to help them navigate your content.
• Executive summary: This helps decision-makers whose time is precious to make a quick decision about whether you’re delivering a solution they require. It’s a summary of the key points, with a succinct conclusion that doesn’t leave any questions unanswered.
• A clear introduction or abstract: An introduction should clearly outline your main points and tell the reader what to expect.
• Thoroughly researched and actionable content: This is the main body of your content and the area where the value lies. You must conduct thorough research to provide information that’s easily digestible but goes into enough depth to be a complete resource.
• Snackable layout: Don’t underestimate how crucial layout and design are. Readers quickly lose interest in monotonous content with unbroken blocks of writing. So, make sure you use blocks of color, diagrams, pictures, headings, subheadings and lists to break up the content and keep the audience engaged.
• Implement a clear distribution strategy: Now you’ve written your white paper, you need to release it into the world as part of your content marketing strategy. You’ll need a clear plan in place about whether you release it for free on social media or build a broader strategy around a paywall or sign up form.

How to Promote White Papers

There are myriad ways to ensure maximum exposure for your content, and it’s a time-consuming piece of writing to create — so make sure it gets the reach it deserves. In particular, you’ll need a well-structured promotion plan to make sure your B2B white papers reach a wider audience. Here are several ideas to help you distribute your content :

• Create a landing page on your website with a short opt-in form to download the white paper
• Create a blog post promoting the white paper or post a portion of your white paper and ensure it’s SEO optimized to rank and drive organic traffic
• Promote your white paper by publishing it with hashtags on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Quora, Instagram and Pinterest
• Submit a guest post to an influencer’s blog with a backlink to your landing page for your white paper
• Use email to promote your white paper to your existing mail list, or pay to send a sponsored email to a relevant partner’s list
• Host a conference, podcast or webinar about your white paper and interview industry experts
• Develop relationships with fellow influencers in your vertical and encourage them to share your white paper
• Email the owners of resources lists and ask them to feature your content
• Share your white paper with your partners and affiliates
• Create an infographic based around the info in your white paper

Where Does a White Paper Fit Into the Buyers Journey?

As mentioned earlier, statistics suggest that white papers are most useful at the consideration stage of the customer journey. This is when a consumer is most likely to conduct extensive research regarding their purchase. They understand what their problem is, and they’re looking for a solution. Encouraging downloads and getting contact details at this stage can be the most effective way of finding leads and converting them. The three steps on the sales journey are:

1. Awareness stage, where you capture the audience’s interest
2. Consideration stage, when they’re gathering information
3. Decision stage, when they decide which product of service to use

At the consideration stage, you have the opportunity to give them information about how you intend to solve their problem. Once you’ve obtained their contact details, you can follow up with targeted content to further encourage a conversion.

White Paper Examples and Resources

You can find an array of helpful resources and excellent white paper examples from some of the biggest companies in the world. Here’s a selection of useful tools and resources for white paper writing.

Sample White Paper Templates

The American Marketing Association has a handy white paper template.

B2B

HubSpot produces a slew of great content resources including a range of white papers. Their white paper on How to Use Instagram for Business is a great example of a piece that offers solutions to a common challenge many of its audience face – how are B2B companies supposed to leverage Instagram? 

An outstanding example of a B2B white paper is Networking and Your Competitive Edge from Cisco. It uses a futuristic and sleek design to communicate the benefits of its services to decision makers.

LinkedIn is highly adept at using content to build a relationship with its users. The Sophisticated Marketer’s Guide to Content Marketing helps content marketers to succeed with valuable insights from industry leaders.

B2C

While most white papers are aimed at B2B audiences, they’re often just as valuable for B2C audiences.

Google wrote a detailed piece entitled the Google Cloud Security and Compliance Whitepaper, targeted at the public as much as it’s aimed at organizations. It aims to communicate the brand’s dedication to security and privacy, encouraging trust and affirming Google’s commitment to its users online safety.

Increase Conversions at Each Stage of Your Sales Funnel

White papers are useful for many reasons, but their primary advantages are that they establish you as a thought leader in your field while improving your website’s search engine ranking. No matter what your area of expertise is, a well-constructed white paper instills confidence in consumers and partners that you can provide the solution to their problem.

To find out more about content marketing strategies, sign up to Crowd Content’s blog, and get actionable SEO and digital marketing advice delivered straight to your inbox.

ALSO – Do you Need a Content Writer or a Copywriter?

The post White Paper Examples & How to Advice to Drive Amazing Results appeared first on Crowd Content - Blog.

So which one do you need when clients come to you to boost their business online: a content writer for your website or a web copywriter? The answer depends on the goals and objectives of the client’s campaign.

Nearly 100 percent of the time, though, you need both a content writer and a web copywriter. Here’s why:

Why You Need a Content Writer

Customers love buying things, but they hate the feeling of being sold. Navigating this dichotomy is one of the most challenging things in marketing. The most successful campaigns don’t push products and services on customers. Rather, they give customers a reason to buy and make them feel like it’s their idea.

That’s where content writing comes in. Rather than always trying to sell, sell, sell, content writing provides value to the reader.

Let’s pretend your client runs a mortgage brokerage. The client wants to increase their online presence and capture leads from people searching the internet for information about mortgages. You help the client set up their website. Now it’s time to populate it with content.

Purely sales content doesn’t give the customer what they’re looking for, and it doesn’t inspire their confidence. There’s a time and place to switch into sales mode. But that comes after your client has built a rapport with the customer and earned the customer’s trust.

The way to build rapport and trust with a website or blog is through content marketing — using a well-defined content strategy to get a customer visit a page or fill out a lead form. It gives the customer something of use to them — such as detailed explanations of different mortgage types – without requiring anything of the customer in return.

It also establishes your client as an authority in their niche. It’s easier to sell to clients after you’ve demonstrated the depth of your knowledge and competence. According to Caleb Chen, Founder at The Highest Critic, “content writers are usually/ideally subject matter experts in the industry for which they’re going to be writing content. This allows them to bring context and expert opinion to their content when compared with a copywriter. Generally, a content writer will be more costly than a copywriter.”

Why You Need a Web Copywriter

Anyone who has ever watched a sales movie understands the importance of closing. Remember the iconic scene with Alec Baldwin in Glengarry Glen Ross, where he delivers the ABCs of sales: Always Be Closing?

ALSO – What is Copywriting?

It’s true. If your client doesn’t use their content to compel a specific action, then they’re essentially just a free source of information.

That’s why good copywriting goes hand in hand with good content writing. Your client’s content writing establishes trust and provides value to the reader. Their copywriting calls the reader to action and closes the sale. Says Chen, “copywriters are generally people who have a solid writing and editing skill base and can be trusted to write grammatically correct copy for any purpose — but don’t often have experience in the industry for which their copy is being generated.”

While the two types of writer vary in their expertise, their skill set, and often, their cost, the interplay between content writing and copywriting forms the crux of a winning online marketing campaign.

A Place for Both in the Customer Journey

By now you understand the difference between copywriting and content writing in a theoretical, goal-oriented sense: content provides educational, valuable, and relevant information about a brand, while copy is used to convince audience members to take an action. But what does it look like in practice?

Sunny Ashley, CEO of Autoshopinvoice, helps put the concepts on more accessible ground: “The difference between the two boils down to their end goals and deliverables. The end goal for content writers is to enhance SEO and build a following. Their content is targeted more towards the top-of-the-funnel. Their performance is ultimately judged on things like page visits and keyword rankings.

Conversely, a copywriter’s is to convert leads into sales. Their content should be less about brand awareness and more about persuasion and calls-to-action. Conversion metrics, form submissions, and new signups are better indicators for success for copywriters.”

Content: First Steps Toward Your Marketing Goals

Content writing serves a few different purposes, including audience awareness, brand recognition, and lead generation. It comes in a wide variety of different packages, from emails and social media posts to blog posts, press releases, well-researched white papers, and e-books.

Imagine you’re building a campaign for a new brand. You don’t have an audience that you can send sales letters or conversion-optimized emails to, so you have to start at square one with a content marketing campaign. You hire a writer to write content related to your brand, something with mass appeal to your audience; preferably, something that brings to light a problem that can be solved by the products or services you’re selling.

Once you have a strong, engaging piece of content, you can strategically deploy it in ways that will best reach a cold “top-of-funnel” audience.

Whether it’s via paid traffic on Google or Facebook, organic social media, an email campaign, or successfully ranking for your target keywords, the next step is driving traffic to your content. When a prospect clicks on a link in any of these channels, they might be taken to a landing page that advertises what they’ll be able to read or download in exchange for submitting some simple information, like their name and email address or phone number — this is called gated content.

Side note: the writing on landing pages tends to be a mix of content and copy; it continues to engage the audience while using the value of the content to persuade them to take the desired action.

Now, you’ve put together a list of leads and you’re starting to grow an audience that has engaged with your brand and is looking forward to what you’ll give them next. That’s when it’s time for marketing copy to take the stage.

Copy: The Hitter That Cleans Up the Leads

Writing copy is all about understanding what the audience wants to hear in order to take the next step in the buyer journey. Luckily, having all clicked on the same piece of content, your audience is filled with prospects that have similar priorities to each other.

Conversion-based sales copy is then deployed through email, direct mail, and other channels that directly advertise the products or services of the brand. It also fills the pages of your website so that anyone who visits is automatically engaged by compelling writing. In this case, copywriting follows up on the awareness of the customer’s problem, strongly positioning your brand as the solution.

Christian Antonoff, a content writer at Independent Fashion Bloggers, says, “the copywriter’s role is to sell products and services by appealing to your senses and emotions. They write persuasive copy targeting brands, selling the notion of needing them in your life.”

But What About Writing that Serves Neither Purpose?

This is actually a trick question: writing that is neither copy nor content has no place in today’s digital marketplace. Some marketing managers will look at certain types of writing and see it as filler; placeholder text to take up space on a page. But, this is a counterintuitive way to think about writing. After all, if any text on your website, blog, or emails isn’t being written to accomplish a goal, what’s the point?

Are Copy and Content Becoming Less Distinguishable?

At the same time, as the world of digital marketing continues to evolve, finding a writer with skills in copywriting and content writing becomes increasingly valuable. Google’s search engine algorithm gets more sophisticated with every new update, becoming better equipped to find and elevate valuable content of all kinds up the list of search results. As the burden shifts away from the rigid guidelines of SEO, the lines between copywriting and content creation will blur even more.

And, there’s mounting evidence that Google values pages and content that have strong engagement metrics. People engage with good content if it provides value to them, but they’re more likely to visit other pages on your site and convert if you also employ strong copywriting. Using both types of writing together can help you boost your overall engagement.

As Isaac Hammelburger, Owner & Founder at SearchPros.co, puts it, there’s no better time for a diversified skill set as a writer: “As the marketing world continues to evolve, the roles of content and copywriters are blurred, but this is exactly what people need now. Writers have to learn a little bit of the other side to take full advantage of their talents.”

Some feel that the difference between the two is nearly obsolete. Adriana Tica is the Founder and Owner of Idunn, and having worked with writers for a long time, is beginning to see them as indistinguishable. “Both of them actually need to write copy and content that sells and converts”, she says. “A blog post with a cleverly placed CTA can convert as much as a long-form sales page. An insightful white paper can bring a lot of sales if written and marketed correctly -— we’ve seen this happen for a lot of our clients. Our point of difference has always been that we create both copy and content that aligns [with] our clients’ financial goals. And we know that both content writing and copywriting can bring sales and conversions.

So, Do You Need a Content Writer or Copywriter For Your Project?

As we’ve discussed, both types of writer have a role in moving your audience through the customer journey. But, what type of content should you assign to each type of writer?

Here’s a quick summary.

Content Writers

You’ll want to send content that is meant inform and engage to content writers. Common content types to send them include articles, blog posts, ebooks, guides, white papers and social media posts. You may also need to find a subset of content writers – technical writers – if you have complex documents to create like how to manuals, reference documents, etc.

Copywriters

Writing that is meant to compel action should be sent to copywriters. Common content types include advertisements, brochures, city pages, landing pages, print ads and collateral, website copy, social media updates, and more.

Mentioned earlier, but one example of the line between content writing and copywriting getting blurry is advertorials. These are short content pieces that look like blog posts or personal stories, inform them reader, but then also compel them to take action. These are very common on Facebook now.

The Takeaway

The easiest way to determine if your client needs a content writer or a web copywriter is to ask this question:

Is my client looking to build their brand and become an authority in their industry, or are they trying to close the sale and compel customers to take a particular action?

Chances are, they want to do both. And for that reason, having a winning content writer and a winning web copywriter on the job is vital for producing a successful campaign. The outlook for the future suggests that finding a writer who can master both skills will give your client the agility to accomplish their marketing goals even more easily.

Need help with your web copy or blogs? Fill out our contact form or call us at (888) 983-3103 to learn about our engaging content solutions.

ALSO – Who’s on Your Business Content Writing Team and How Do You Manage Them?

The post Do You Need a Content Writer or a Copywriter? appeared first on Crowd Content - Blog.

Luckily, brands and marketing teams can easily add these critical skills to their projects by investing in business content writing teams. Here’s a look at why you should ensure you have the right people on your content writing team and how to create winning teams for any content project.

The Importance of a Writing Team

A writing team is like the engine that powers your content marketing vehicle. If you don’t have an engine, it doesn’t matter how great the exterior of the vehicle looks. It’s not going anywhere unless you put it on a trailer and pull it with someone else’s engine. And if your engine is too small (i.e., you don’t have the right writers or enough writers), your marketing vehicle can’t move quickly enough or burns itself up.

A writing team lets you shift gears quickly and easily move between all the critical aspects of marketing, including:

• Content strategy
• SEO
• Social media
• Website content creation

Benefits of Working With a Team of Writers for Your Business Content

Databox polled marketers to discover what areas the experts see people failing at when it comes to online marketing. When asked what areas brands and marketing teams were most likely to under-invest in, content quality and research was the clear winner (er…or loser, actually).

Around 40% of respondents said companies didn’t invest enough in writing and content quality, often because they were chasing the latest SEO gimmick or technology they believe might vault them to the top of the SERPs. And while trends such as the featured snippet can help you gain organic search traction, SEO is a long game that requires authority, quality, engaging content.

The biggest benefit of working with a team of writers is that you’re better positioned to provide the type of content that wins SEO long games. Other benefits include:

• You can rely on the creativity and brain power of more people to ensure your content is unique and relevant
• Each writer has different skills, ensuring each type of content is highest quality
• You don’t hitch your wagon to a single content creator, so if someone gets sick, has an emergency or becomes overburdened by the work, others can help out

How Do You Build the Right Writing Team for Each Project?

Gintaras Steponkus is the marketing manager at Solidguides and points out that the right writers for one job aren’t necessarily the right people for another project. “We work on two major domains: business and tech,” says Steponkus. “We have 10 writing team members in total—half for the business domain and the other half for the tech. Roles are assigned based on their interests and academics.”

But Steponkus doesn’t stop there. Writers for Solidguides content also specialize in the type of writing they do. “Different writers are dedicated to blogs, pitching, guest blogs, video creation content and podcasts scripts. Two managers handle the two teams and have expertise in their relevant domain.”

Who you put on your business content writing team depends on your needs and goals. At minimum, you might want:

• Different writers who are qualified and experienced in writing for the types of content you require, including sales copywriters to handle conversion-focused pages, general writers for basic blog posts and social media writers who have the skills required to engage audiences in those specialty formats
• One or more detail-oriented editors with experience in marketing and business content to tweak drafts
• SEO experts to help identify what topics should be covered, how content should be formatted and what keywords to include
• Project or content managers to oversee the flow of all the work and ensure each of these areas is communicating

Steponkus’s point is valid, though: Someone who can write witty, engaging social posts might not be as adept at writing informative, deeply researched white papers — and vice versa. You can definitely find writers that cover all those bases, but those are what Larry Kim of Mobile Monkey would call the unicorns. Which is to say: They’re rare.

Plus, even if your writer can pen everything from compelling, creative product descriptions to professional letters full of legal speak, you might not want to use them that way. Many writers prefer certain types of work and shine brightest when they’re allowed to do it, for example.

Ultimately, building your ideal business content writing team comes down to common sense measures and some trial and error. Use the steps below to get started.

1. Identify your business content marketing goals.
2. Determine what types of content you need to support those goals.
3. Divide the content into major types and ask yourself: Do you want different writers for each category.
4. Make a list of skills and experience writers might need to produce each type of content with excellence.
5. Start adding writers who match those qualifications to your team.

Pro tip: You can use the Crowd Content self-serve marketplace search functions to find writers who have backgrounds in certain niches or who have written certain types of content before. You can also reach out to our customer support reps for help finding the ideal writers for any project — whether you need topic experts or generalists who can tackle a wide array of projects.

How to Drive a Successful Collaborative Writing Process

Once you build a business content writing team, don’t forget you have to manage them.

Danielle Clevy says her team is composed of in-house and freelance members including sales copywriters, substantive writers (for articles, longer blog posts and case studies) and junior and social media writers for shorter copy and social posts.

To manage all those writers, Clevy uses a variety of tools. “We use a combination of project management tools (Asana, mainly, though formerly Basecamp), Zoom for calls, Slack to keep us all in touch and build culture and sometimes Voxer. Each week, everyone is required to use our status template and report on their projects and hours worked.”

However you manage your writing teams, the critical factor is communication. Checking in regularly with writers and other people on the team helps ensure people make deadlines and create content that works well for your campaigns.

Here’s a brief sneak peak of how our enterprise process works to provide a jumping off point in defining your own content process.

1. We start by helping the client define what they need if they don’t already know. Before you can create a content process, you must know what type of content you need.
2. We determine the steps each piece of content needs to go through and who is responsible for each steps. Steps might include:
   1. SEO and keyword research
   2. Fact and content research
   3. Creating instructions or briefs for the content
   4. Creating an editorial calendar with deadlines for each content creation step and publication
   5. Assigning content to writers
   6. Editing content
   7. Providing a final QA pass on content
   8. Formatting content
   9. Adding any last touches, such as images
   10. Pressing publish
3. Once we know what steps are required and who is handling each one, we set everything up via our platform. In this third step, you might need to set up your project management tool so you can keep track of all the moving parts and communicate appropriately with everyone involved.
4. We send out the work with all applicable instructions and deadline notifications.
5. We receive the work back and review it, providing ample feedback as needed for revisions or just to ensure future work moves ever closer to the mark you’ve set.
6. We finalize and publish content (or send it to our clients for this purpose).

You don’t have to handle writing team management on your own, though. If this sounds like a lot of work, consider Crowd Content Enterprise solutions, which include project management.

ALSO – How to Scale Your Agency By White Labeling Content Writing

The post Who’s on Your Business Content Writing Team and How Do You Manage Them? appeared first on Crowd Content - Blog.

Many businesses — online and off — are facing serious challenges in 2020, particularly given the impact that COVID-19 is having on bottom lines. But some companies are finding a way to resolve some current business issues — or, at least, create a more solid foundation for the future — by using this time to work on content marketing.

ALSO – Need a hand creating evergreen content? Try our content writing services

Yes, in the current environment, many businesses are understandably scaling back on content budgets. But at the same time, other businesses are actually increasing budgets — and it’s not just those that are enjoying a traffic bump during this period.

Businesses Are Still Investing Because Content Is Valuable

For example, Kevin Miller, the founder and CEO of The Word Counter, says he’s doubled his monthly content budget during this time. “I am increasing content spend because many others are slowing down,” says Miller. “Also, writers have a greater capacity to get new topics completed. It helps me plan out the entire years’ worth of content and get it at a cheaper rate.”

But Miller’s not just looking out for his own bottom line. “It feels great to give work to people who are really in need right now and allows me to feed money back into the freelance writing economy that can use it.”

Meg Marrs, the founder and CEO of K9 of Mine, is also increasing content spend in April 2020. “With more folks stuck at home and spending more time online, we expect to see an increase in traffic and want to take advantage of that with as much content as possible.”

5 Reasons to Keep Creating — or Even Create More — Content Now

1. The competition can outpace you. If you’re not creating content now and the competition is, you may never catch up. They will have weeks or months of content where you have none, which can help them perform better than you in SERPs and engage with consumers at a time when people are looking for entertainment, support or guidance from brands.
2. You have time to invest in quality. Changes to projects or business priorities might mean you have time to invest in quality. And, as Miller pointed out, if you don’t personally have an opening your schedule, you may find qualified, experienced freelancers happy to provide high-quality content right now. It’s a time to stock up on editorial for the future.
3. Content has long-term value and builds authority. When choosing what to spend marketing budget on in this season, consider what will provide long-term value. Advertising is short-term. Morgan Taylor, the CMO for LetMeBank, points out that, “nobody wants to feel marketed to at this time. It can come off as tasteless if you directly market at a time like this, but that doesn’t mean we have stopped producing and using content.” Taylor recommends switching focus to content that’s informative and drives SEO and brand awareness.
4. SEO takes time, and creating content ensures you don’t waste it. Since SEO takes time to build, Taylor’s recommendation is sound. Investing in more content during this time — when advertising might not be an option — puts you in a strong SEO position in the future.
5. You can use it again later. Plus, all the content you create during this time can be reused in the future. You can pull components out for social media posts and repurpose content for future posts, ebooks or white papers, providing additional value down the road (and reducing the cost and time associated with future content creation).

Measuring the Long-Term Value of Content

Staying the course with your content budget during a time of uncertainty can be bold, and investing more in content even bolder. Whether you’re trying to ease your own concerns or get buy-in from clients, bosses or other stakeholders, you need a way to measure the value of content.

How you advocate for content depends on your business model. We reached out to business owners, marketing managers and others who are confident enough in their plans to hold steady or increase content right now. Here’s how they’re calculating the value of content.

• Kevin Miller of The Word Counter uses Google Adsense revenue per post. It’s simple, available on his dashboard and lets him create projections of what his content is likely to earn in the future.
• Morgan Taylor advises tracking the value of the customer over their life with you. A solid CRM system lets you gather this type of data; once you know what the average customer brings to your bottom line, you can calculate content value by how many customers it brings into your fold. And since content can keep bringing in new customers for months or years, that value can be big.
• Jesse Nieminen of Viima provides a formula for calculating the lifetime value of content: “Total number of inbound leads * conversion to paying customers * average lifetime value of customer – cost to convert traffic and deliver service.”
• Meg Marrs also provides a formula, stating, “We try to calculate a value per visitor amount by dividing the revenue the page generated by monthly traffic to get a revenue per user number. So for example: $400 of revenue / 5,000 page views per month = .08 cents per user.” Marrs says this calculation lets them compare the revenue generation of various articles.

Time to Make a Decision. . .

Are you going to invest in the long-term value of content during this season like many of the businesses above? Steps for doing so include:

• Figuring out how you calculate the value of your content
• Understanding what your customers need during this time and how to serve that need with content that also provides long-term value (based on the metric above)
• Getting buy-in from other stakeholders by showing them how much today’s content can do for the business in the future
• Reaching out to internal teams or qualified freelance writers to create the kind of content that will have a lasting impact

ALSO – 5 Ways To Make Your Content Budget Go Further

The post The Long-Term Value of Content and Why You Shouldn’t Put Off Creating It in the Short -Term appeared first on Crowd Content - Blog.

But scaling back on your budget doesn’t necessarily mean substantially reducing (or stopping) your content production. And that’s a good thing, because content can be critical for communicating with and providing assurance to your customers and audience during a time of crisis.

Check out these five tips for stretching your content budget further without sacrificing quality.

1. Prioritize Content According to Business Value

If your budget is limited or you’re cutting back, make sure you know what content is most valuable to your business. Look for ways to use your content budget for long-lasting value when possible, but understand the immediate needs of your audience too.

For example, during the 2020 COVID-19 crisis, companies that offer food subscription boxes might find paid advertising to be a valuable way to connect with people who are searching online for meat or other items that are in short supply locally. For these companies, the business value of content for ads is two-fold. First, it can lead to an immediate conversion. Second, it can lead to long-term value if the subscriber remains with the business.

But for many companies, ads won’t provide the most long-term value in this type of situation. Instead, SEO content that increases performance in search results in the future might provide more long-term value. Thought leadership may also be important for businesses attempting to assuage consumers and create trust and authority.

2. Consider Outsourcing Your Content Writing

“If you really want to reach a lot of target audience, your content production has to be massive,” Esther Meyer, the marketing manager at Grooms Shop, says. “Think social media posts, blog posts, email marketing content, website and landing pages. It’s okay to outsource your content marketing to other people. But you must maintain quality when you outsource. The most important thing to keep in mind when outsourcing content is to have a content marketing tone and style guide. You also need to communicate your needs and desires in a clear and concise manner.”

Outsourcing content can be a way to maintain scale without blowing your budget, but you do have to be smart about how you go about it. Working with the cheapest writers available typically results in sub-par content quality. That leaves you scrambling to rework content before you publish it, which increases expense.

For best results, you want to hire high-quality freelance writers at reasonable rates.

Working directly with freelancers can be more expensive than you plan as well. If you’re considering outsourcing content to stretch your budget and save yourself time, consider keeping a content creation company on standby.

3. Repurpose Existing Content

“Another way to stretch your budget,” says Katie from Digitally Enhanced, “is to optimize and repurpose content. If you’re going to put the time and effort into creating a piece of content, transition into the mindset of creating a content experience. Ways that I’ve created multi-purpose content include taking one interview and creating an expose or mini-series, a Q&A, a how-to or checklist, a video and associated social media and email accompaniments.”

Katie says she’s created up to 15 content assets from one content idea and provides these tips for others who want to do the same:

• Take your 5-10 top performing content pieces and turn them an ebook, PDF or other long-form content with a compelling and relevant headline
• Aggregate similar content pieces into a deeper whitepaper
• Pull out audio from existing video/video series into a podcast

“One of the best things you can do is build out a strong content tracking system,” says Katie. “I would guess that any brand’s content program will be divided by overarching themes, so in this system, be very clear about which theme content falls into, when it was written, if it leverages any outside sources and other pertinent information. From this, I recommend an annual audit and refresh so that no content is ever more than two years old and all sources are up to date and still in good standing.”

4. Start With Content From Your Team

Not all content needs to be in the form of the written word. In fact, 88% of marketers note that video marketing provides a positive ROI (up from 33% in just 2015). Start with different types of content your team can put together such as videos, webinars, podcasts or interviews. Even better, see if you already have some of this content in your archives.

Creating content using your existing team’s expertise and knowledge can reduce the cost. Then you can provide those videos or interviews to in-house or freelance writers and have them generate articles, blog posts and other text-based content from them without the need to do additional research. That helps support faster turn-around times on content writing and can potentially reduce the cost of written content.

5. Seek Guest Posts From Experts

Finally, reach out to business partners, influencers or other non-competitors who might be willing to provide a guest post for your blog. In many cases, experts or business partners are willing to provide a post for free because it provides them with additional exposure for their own brand. You might also swap guest-posting favors and provide something for their blog. You each get fresh content but can easily write about topics you’re familiar with.

Content doesn’t have to be expensive. But cutting your content budget altogether, even during a time of crisis, can be a costly mistake that impacts your company’s future. Instead, work within your resources and get the most out of the content budget you’re able to keep.

ALSO – How to Leverage Content in a Crisis Situation

The post 5 Ways To Make Your Content Budget Go Further appeared first on Crowd Content - Blog.

While content creation for consumers—B2C—might garner more attention in the marketplace, a strong B2B content creation strategy can produce quantifiable, bottom-line results for B2B businesses as well. More than just snackable content designed to engage for a few minutes and drive a quick consumer purchase, B2B content is based on strategic initiatives. It needs to attract, engage, and most importantly, generate quality leads. By building trust and helping prospects, great B2B content moves potential buyers further along the sales funnel.  

ALSO – Check out our B2B Content Writing Service

Differences Between B2B Content and B2C Content

Before we dive into B2B content, let’s talk about three ways it’s different from typical  B2C content. 

B2C purchase decisions are typically driven by emotion. When it’s B2C content, you want to connect with buyers on an emotional level—make them feel good about your brand and the qualities it imbues. With B2B content, you need to start by developing content that establishes trust with potential customers. The stakes are higher in B2B—purchase decisions typically involve multiple people, and are often long-term contracts.

B2B buyers want to see the ROI of your product or service. When a consumer chooses one brand of toothpaste over another, they probably don’t view it as an investment they plan to evaluate. So B2C content can have an informal voice. In contrast, B2B content needs to start the process of convincing a potential customer that the product or service will create cost savings or efficiencies that will help them grow revenue. A solid B2B content strategy will use logic and data to sway the decision-makers.

B2B content needs detail. Most of the daily decisions we make as consumers are not based on deep, investigative research. But details matter when a business is considering a product or service—they increase the confidence of the buyer. Quality content should establish you as an authority, so information needs to be valuable, pertinent, and useful. Use relevant statistics and draw on real-world examples. Engaging content isn’t focused on creating basic awareness or prompting someone to do something as simple as clicking to make a purchase—it’s building confidence in you, your services, or your products that will lead to outreach and a sale. Getting this right is a special skill set. Remember many of your readers will be experts in their own right, so your content needs to speak to them. 

Benefits of a B2B Content Strategy

Maybe you’re not convinced that a B2B content strategy will really move the sales needle for your company. Wondering how an investment in high quality content will make a difference is a valid concern.

The reality is that all kinds of companies are currently using B2B content successfully. Done well, it provides quantifiable ROI. Whether it’s through blog posts, social media, white papers, user-generated content, or any of the other avenues that are available to B2B marketers, the right content marketing strategy delivers results. A critical piece is providing intelligent, well-researched material. Remember that people who are deeply involved in an industry, especially those who are empowered to make purchase decisions, have a great deal of knowledge already. They are experts already, and they’ll have little patience for B2B content that is thin or just scratches the surface of a topic. 

What are the main benefits of a B2B content strategy?

More qualified leads. Content creation for B2B brands can drive customers to your website at the key moment in their decision-making process. Specifically, they’ll land there after an internet search, where they have entered a specific query, provided your content is optimized for search. When your products or services match up with their needs, and you have B2B content that establishes your authority, you have a customer who is far more likely to buy from you. 

A premium spot in a competitive marketplace. With effective B2B content that establishes thought leadership, you can create a presence outline that outstrips even larger competitors. Work with writers who understand the principles of SEO, and your content will rank higher in search queries. Which, of course, means that a potential customer is more likely to reach out to you first. 

Enhanced brand image. It no longer requires a multi-million dollar traditional advertising campaign to create good feelings about a brand, and you don’t need to allocate a big chunk of your marketing budget for paid search to build awareness. Detail-oriented, educational B2B content that reaches your target audience at the moment they’re searching for your products or services imbues your company with positive attributes. When you produce valuable B2B content on a consistent basis, current and potential customers are more likely to only work with you but also tell their friends and colleagues about your company.

Enables the sales team. When the right content is created for a B2B brand, it also helps educate and empower salespeople. It provides them with material they can use to navigate a potential buyer through the process and turn them into a customer, and reinforces the pain points that are likely for the prospect.

Content marketing is affordable, and when done well, more effective—according to some studies, B2B content marketing generates three times as many leads as paid search. 

Quality content matters for B2B marketers

Still not convinced that investing time and resources in B2B content creation is worth it?

Well, a quick browse of the internet will show you just how much is out there—blog posts, visual content, landing pages, webinars, and more. And that endless supply has raised expectations, so your customers and potential customers now expect high quality content. If your target audience visits your website and doesn’t see fresh, informative material, it sets off alarms. You never get a second chance to make a first impression, and you’ll appear less capable than your competitors. It’s important to deliver factual, well-researched content that will establish you as an authority. 

In fact, 47% of the people making B2B purchases will look at three to five pieces of content before they engage with a salesperson for the first time. 

What’s more, the same purchase patterns that have emerged for consumers are relevant in B2B—just like the person figuring out which flat screen TV to buy, the team that is buying for a company will conduct extensive online research before making a decision. According to the Content Marketing Institute, this happens nearly 50% of the time. In the year ahead, it’s likely that content marketing statistics will reveal that number is growing, as millennials and Gen Z  move up the ranks and become the key decision-makers at more and more companies. 

Tips for Creating B2B Content 

Once you commit to creating content for a B2B audience, how do you ensure that it’s a valuable part of your overall marketing strategy? How do you create content that delivers ROI? What kinds of content will drive lead generation?

Whether you’re a small business or a large corporation, developing quality content takes creativity, attention to detail, and consistency. For every company that does it well, there are scores that flounder or just muddle along without seeing an impact. If you want to be a part of the former group and develop B2B content that really works, here are some tips:

Tell good stories. Not fibs or half-truths, but relevant information delivered in a human way. When embarking on a B2B content marketing strategy, it’s easy to fall into the trap of filling everything with industry jargon or buzzwords in an attempt to sound like your idea of an industry professional. Don’t go overboard on the lingo—keep your content clear and easy to understand. Think about the best storytellers you’ve met in your life. Have they been the people who seem intent on demonstrating how intelligent they are? Or the ones who engaged you throughout a tale with wit, relevance, or imagination? 

Target buyer personas. As much as possible, think about B2B content like a one-on-one conversation instead of a presentation in a massive lecture hall. Before you create a piece of content—whether it’s a blog article, a webinar, a LinkedIn post, a video—decide who you’re hoping to reach. Your buyer persona shouldn’t be an audience so narrow that it’s not useful, but recognizing different kinds of customers will help you craft B2B content that connects with purchasers at the key point in their decision-making process. To help define your target audiences,  account-based marketing can be an effective way to create messages that resonate with the people receiving them. 

Don’t just write it. Use your words is good advice for your preschooler, but quality B2B content builds on great copy with other attention-grabbing elements. Use infographics to reinforce key points, build a subscriber list and use email marketing to let people know when new content is available, and foster user-generated content to augment your own material.  If you have a great article, don’t be afraid to promote it months later with a press release, an attention-getting LinkedIn post, or a message on another social media platform.  You can also take quality content and repurpose it for other channels. Ben Culpin, Content Marketer at Wakeupdata, says, “The strategy that has worked best for us is clustering content for SEO and then repurposing certain content for different formats and channels. As an example, a client case in which we increased Google Shopping conversions worked pretty well as a blog article. However, once we used the same case in a YouTube video, an infographic, a newsletter, and a podcast discussion,, we saw traffic to the original article increase by 160% in a month, while signups to a downloadable ebook from the page rose by 83%. Since then, organic traffic to the article has increased by around 7% month-over-month, so it’s a strategy that yields results in the long-term too.

The right content at the right time. What kind of content will resonate with a prospect at different phases of the sales funnel? A first-time visitor to your site is likely to examine the features of your product or service, and engage with some of the articles—your tone and voice need to establish both personality and authority. But few B2B decision-makers are going to make a decision based on a quick scan of your site. Can you capture their email and follow up with a white paper that may be especially relevant to them? After a salesperson takes them through a demo, can you share some visual content? Consider filming testimonials of some current customers and creating short videos you can share—these can help your buyer communicate your value to other key constituents in the company. Reach out to the prospect through your social media channels attention to those will ensure they see bite-sized reminders about your company. Andrew DeBell, co-founder of Water Bear Learning, relies on LinkedIn, “…because that is where most of our best B2B leads are and is the best opportunity for us to get eyes on our brand.”

Build the right team. If you run a small to mid-sized business and have an entrepreneurial mindset, it’s easy to think that you can handle B2B content creation on your own. The reality is that running your operation will always take precedent, and your content marketing efforts will be pushed lower on the priority list. Whether you staff a group yourself or rely on a content marketing services company, it’s a mistake to take on the task of creating B2B content without any help.

Put yourself on a path to better B2B content creation. 

There’s not one, clear path to creating quality content that works for your company. It’s an ongoing process—companies need to consistently provide information that clients and prospects find valuable and moves them closer to a purchase decision.  

Use data-driven marketing research to help you measure the effectiveness of your content. Use SEO tools like Google Analytics to find out what content performs well and what fails to gain traction. Google Search Console will help you find keywords that can drive quality content. Olga Mykhoparkinam, Chief Marketing Officer at Chanty, notes, “The majority of the content we create is for B2B audience and it has a strong focus on SEO. Before creating a piece of content, we do keyword research to see what the content needs to be optimized for. For example, our top-performing post is one about Slack alternatives, which targets this very keyword. This article alone brings us more than 100 new users every month. The purpose of the article is to present the reader with an overview of Slack alternatives and present us as the best choice. It works incredibly well and articles like these are the main reason we now have over 10,000 active users and more than 50,000 website visitors every month.”

Remain open to fresh thinking—you just might find your target audience reacts really well to long-form articles when you figured they would be more likely to embrace webinars and visual content. Reach out to your customers and have conversations to help you identify areas that interest them. Connect with your sales team to find out what prospects consistently identify as pain points. Keep up with the topics covered in your trade journals to see if there is material you can build upon and make especially relevant to your products or services. 

Yes, B2B content creation is an investment of valuable time and resources. But done well and consistently, it pays off. 

ALSO – What Makes Good B2B Copywriters, and How Can You Find Them?

The post The Complete B2B Content Creation Guide appeared first on Crowd Content - Blog.

Creating original, engaging content is not easy (though a good content writing service can certainly help). Yet, it is the least that’s expected of you as a content marketer today. The real content marketing challenge of 2020 is getting your content in front of the right audience. As Ross Simmonds often preaches, “distribution rules everything around me.”

As more businesses realize the importance of content marketing, the competition for content promotion is getting tougher. So, how do you rise to the top of your space? Keep reading to learn about the top content distribution tips for 2020.

1. Find Your Target Audience

Who is interested in what you have to say? Ideally, this question should be answered before your content is created.

Identifying your niche audience is one of the key steps in creating and distributing content. Sadly, it is also one of the most overlooked! Too often an article, a video or a blog post are created without well-defined audiences in mind. So, here is your chance to stand out.

Creating targeted content also means identifying and using keywords and key phrases that your potential customers are using in their search engine queries.

Many keyword research tools are available to make the task easier for content marketers. The most widely used are Google’s Keyword Planner, Google Trends, Moz Keyword Explorer, Ubersuggest and Answer The Public.

By understanding how your audience describes the topics you want to cover, and understanding the intent behind their searches, you can tailor content that speaks directly to them.

ALSO – Qualitative Keyword Research: How to Invest 10 Minutes into Your Content Marketing Process & See Your Content Rise to the Top of Google

2. Create and Promote Blog Posts

Everyone seems to run a blog these days – so, is it still worth it? The answer is definitely “yes” – if you do it right. A recent study by Content Marketing Institute confirmed what many of us have intuitively known for ages – that 7 out of 10 customers prefer promotion through articles rather than ads.

So, what makes an effective blog? You need to:

• Publish original content that is genuinely useful, insightful and/or entertaining
• Maintain high standards – create comprehensive, best-in-industry content
• Post regularly
• Stay true to the topic and purpose of your blog
• Engage with your audience and build community
• Keep the information up to date
• Promote widely – there’s no point in publishing great content if nobody sees it!

Well researched and written blog posts help establish and support your brand’s reputation and expertise – building trust, making your audience more receptive to your messages, and creating lasting customer relationships.

When your blog post is combined with a logical, well-defined call to action, it is also invaluable in building highly targeted email lists. For example, if readers of your blog find your content useful, they will be more inclined to provide their active email address to access a comprehensive guide on the topic – and to stay subscribed to receive further messages from you.

The blog format allows for a more informal, personal tone than your main company site. That makes blog posts great for sharing on social networks, and for using such opportunities for cross-promotion as guest posting.

ALSO – 13 Types of Blog Posts to Fire Up Your Readers (And Your Editorial Calendar)

Guest Posting Might Be Harder to Get – But It Still Works

Guest posts remain a great way to get more exposure for your content.

Marketers today may be more wary of allowing guest posts on their site because the practice has been abused by spammers. Still, the collaboration between bloggers can be very effective – if done right. If you can enrich each other’s content, you instantly increase exposure and provide more value for your audience.

For example, BackLinko’s Brian Dean has recently teamed up with PitchBox, an outreach and content marketing platform, for an impressive study on the effectiveness of outreach emails. Backlinko benefited by acquiring some cutting-edge data-driven content, while PitchBox got significant exposure for their product.

Guest posting can also be a great way to promote your existing content. Including links to other relevant topics in your blog ensures that your evergreen or updated content keeps being discovered by new audiences.

3. Keep Search Engines Happy – Never Neglect Your SEO

On-page SEO remains as important as ever. The tedious bit – optimizing your posts for their target keywords using the latest SEO best practices – should never be skipped.

One well-targeted, informative blog post that makes it to the first page of Google results for a given keyword can drive substantial organic traffic for years. So, the time and effort invested in SEO are well worth it when considered against the long-term gains.

As the competition among content creators heats up, it is particularly important to understand search intent – the reason why users look for information – behind queries that are likely to bring traffic to your site. Your primary keywords should always be chosen with search intent in mind.

When you have decided on your primary keyword, make sure to use it:

• in the page title
• in the H1 heading
• early in the body of your content

Every post should have a custom meta description that includes your keywords and accurately summarizes your content. If your description matches your audience’s search intent closely, it will drive up the organic CTR (click-through rate) on your listing in Google search results.

The quality of your content is the most important ranking factor with Google now. That means it needs to read well, offer valuable information, satisfy search intent, and perhaps most importantly – it needs to be comprehensive. Additionally, you’ll want to spend time ensuring your content is surrounded by good design so that it’s more appealing to visitors.

All of this impacts how visitors interact with your site. If your site has a low bounce rate – meaning that your visitors spend time on your site consuming your content – it will help your content rank even higher as a result of Google’s RankBrain, which looks at behavioral metrics like this, bringing in more visitors from search engines.

Sharing your content widely and building backlinks from authority sites in your niche are also solid off-page SEO techniques that you should use.

ALSO – 7 Tips for How to Write SEO Content

4. Know Your Content Distribution Channels

What channels can you use to distribute your content in 2020? All content distribution and sharing channels can be grouped into the following categories:

1. Channels that are under your complete control (often referred to as “owned” distribution channels). These include:

• Your website
• Your blog
• Your email newsletter
• Your brand profiles on social media
• eBooks, PDF guides, infographics, etc. (downloadable from your site or emailed by you)
• Video content (posted on your YouTube channel or your blog, included in your emails, etc.)
• Audio content (your own podcasts, audiobooks, guides, etc.)

2. Channels that you have limited control over (“earned” or “shared” content distribution channels):

• Strong organic search engine rankings
• Social shares and mentions
• Reposts on other social networks
• Citations on other websites and blogs
• Reviews that link back to your site

3. Channels for paid distribution:

• Paid advertising – Display Ads and Pay-Per-Click (PPC)
• Sponsored content on social networks (like LinkedIn Sponsored Updates, promoted posts on Facebook or Pinterest’s Promoted Pins)
• Native advertising and content discovery platforms (like Taboola and Outbrain)
• Paid influencer campaigns
• Social media advertisements

Your budget, as well as your overall brand strategy, will determine which owned and paid distribution channels you use the most.

Earned channels have the potential to provide the biggest return on your investment in content. At the same time, content sharing carries some risks, as the spin that can be put on shared content is largely out of your hands.

The effectiveness of earned channels has been steadily declining over the last few years. On Facebook, for example, the decline in organic traffic has been particularly noticeable since the 2018 algorithm update, which changed the way content appears on users’ timelines to prioritize, in Mark Zuckerberg’s words, “friends, family, and groups” over “businesses, brands, and media.”

As a result, the competition for earned channels in 2020 is set to be tougher than ever. In this situation, your paid distribution efforts should be used to try and increase your earned reach.

For example, promoting a post on Facebook or LinkedIn can help generate some organic shares. You can also invite the people who like your promoted posts to follow you, increasing the audience for your future content. Having a network of people that will like and share your post also ensures that it gets picked up and promoted by social network algorithms.

ALSO – Content Advertising: How to Leverage Paid Ads in Your Content Marketing

5. Pick the Right Content Distribution Channels for Your Target Audience

Once you know your channels, it’s just a matter of matching them with your potential audiences. If you’ve done your homework researching your niche audience, then the task of finding the right channel for distributing your content becomes easier.

Are you trying to reach busy professionals that are likely to use LinkedIn daily? The fashion-conscious crowd on Instagram and Pinterest? Is your audience more likely to use Facebook – or Twitter? If you know your target audience, the above questions should not be hard to answer.

Then you need to put a sound content distribution strategy in place. Alexander Porter, Head of Copy at  Search It Local, explains:

“Successful content marketing heading into 2020 must exist within an integrated framework. You can’t release it in a handful of channels and expect to keep up with your competition if they are casting a wider net. At Search It Local, we build the foundations of our results like we were building a pyramid.”

For example, if your goal is to create brand awareness and build trust by running a business blog, then your content distribution strategy for new posts could include:

• Publishing an SEO-optimized blog post on your company site.
• Posting the key quotes from your post to Twitter.
• Emailing the summary of your blog post with a link to the full post to your mailing list subscribers.
• Posting summary/infographics/video promoting the post to your Facebook and LinkedIn profiles.
• Sharing the post through Facebook and LinkedIn Groups.
• Using sponsored listings on social media feeds to promote the post.
• Contacting influencers that might be interested in sharing your post.
• Using remarketing to promote the post to the audiences that have shown interest in similar content or have recently visited your site.
• Using Google Ads to drive paid traffic directly to your blog post.

Finding the right channels to connect with your audience will initially require some experimentation. Once you are confident that you are reaching your crowd, you can play with the formats and topics of your posts, fine-tuning your messages so that they are tailored to your chosen channels and platforms.

6. Maximize Your Social Shares

Each content sharing platform has strengths that should be used to maximum advantage. For example, short video content is perfect for sharing on Facebook and Instagram, while some eye-catching infographics can be created for ease of share on LinkedIn or Twitter.

Always look for usage patterns of the content sharing platforms – then, look for ways to stand out.

Jason Thibault, the owner of the content marketing agency Massive Kontent, shares some insights on the optimal use of LinkedIn:

“LinkedIn now has just over 300 million active monthly users, 40% of which visit the site daily. Only 3 million of those users share content every week – so creating and sharing content on the platform automatically puts you in the “one percent”. This year I started including short PDFs with my LinkedIn posts. Just 6-7 pagers that summarize my main points. The posts with PDFs generate anywhere from 250% to 600% more views (4,000-12,000 views) in the LinkedIn newsfeed.”

It is crucial to create your content with the distribution platform in mind. For example, the optimal length of a Facebook post for ease of sharing is between 40 and 80 characters, while the ideal content length on Twitter is often reported to be 70 – 100 characters. At the same time, some brands have discovered that much longer Facebook posts work for them, while others swear by multi-tweet messages on Twitter. Ultimately, you are the best judge of what works best in your space – and figuring that out does take quite a bit of experimentation!

ALSO – Social Media: How Does it Impact Your SEO?

Paid promotion may be a good tactic to use to start things off. The initial traction that your post gets from paid placements start leading to organic shares.  

Samantha Milner, the food blogger at RecipeThis.com, has been able to grow her blog to 8 million pageviews a year using the following strategy:

“When a new recipe is published, we will share it first to our Facebook page and Twitter account. It will also have every image featured in it shared to a relevant Pinterest board. It is then distributed across Pinterest with Tailwind until it has gone through all relevant Pinterest groups, shared with relevant Tailwind Tribes, and then shared throughout social bookmarking channels – as well as to recipe sharing sites and link parties. Then each Friday it will be shared with our newsletter subscribers.”

So, to maximize social shares:

• Consistently share quality content on the platforms that your target audience uses
• Use the best formats for sharing on your chosen platforms
• Use paid promotion to initiate organic shares of your top content
• Always study the competition – then look for ways to stand out!

7. Email Is Still HUGE

It has been around forever, but, year after year, numerous studies agree that email remains a powerful content distribution and marketing channel – even for younger generations. As many as 68% of millennials report that promotional emails have influenced their purchasing decisions.

Build a quality email list

Building targeted email lists is more important than ever. One successful tactic is to offer some actionable, in-demand content – like an eBook or an instructional video – for free in exchange for mailing list subscriptions. The pieces of content that you offer as subscription incentives should:

1. Add immediate value to your audience – teach them a strategy, show them a technique, etc.
2. Be as targeted as possible.
3. Promise to deliver more – soon. (Make sure you deliver on that promise!)

If you provide immediate value, your readers are more likely to stay subscribed. They will also be more motivated to open your subsequent emails and be receptive to your messages.

Keep your email formatting clean and simple

While it is tempting to experiment with formats of your email messages, it is important to remember about the overwhelming number of emails your readers open daily.

People are becoming tired of the visually bulky “traditional” newsletter formats.

Simple, brief, to the point, letter-style emails are easier to skim through and are more likely to get attention and initiate immediate action.

In fact, emails sent by some of the most prominent content marketers of today are concise to the point of using an almost bullet-point format.

Your email promotion success also greatly depends on your attention to detail and persistence. To get better response rates, personalize the subject and body of your messages as much as possible, and be prepared to send multiple emails to the same contacts.

ALSO – Email Copywriting: Tips for Mastering a Profitable Niche

8. Share in Social Network Groups (and Create Your Own!)

Your top content deserves extra distribution effort. Both Facebook and LinkedIn have the Groups feature that is great for reaching out to people that are actively looking for information on very specific topics.

Oksana Chyketa, a B2B marketer at Albacross.com, has the following tips on distributing content via Facebook Groups:

“A great way to promote your content on Facebook is through Facebook Groups. In this case, you have two options: 1) You can join Facebook groups and boost your reach by sharing your content once you’re a member. Or 2) You can create your own Facebook Group and invite users to join and promote your brand. Both options are excellent in an organic increase of page ‘likes.’ It’s important to mention that only high-quality, problem-solving and engaging content will attract and retain your prospects.”

As a content marketer, it is important to make sure that you are present on all major social platforms that your audience frequents. Be it Quora, Reddit, YouTube, or smaller niche forums – before you start promoting your content in any way, you need to learn the rules of the group, and add value by answering questions and genuinely contributing to discussions. Do not post any content that can be perceived as spammy. Reddit, in particular, has zero spam tolerance and can be more valuable as an audience research platform than a content distribution one.

9. Always Look for Emerging Channels (and for New Opportunities to Use Existing Ones!)

Who heard of TikTok two years ago? Very few people would’ve predicted its amazing rise. The same could’ve been said about YouTube just a few years earlier.

The new channels for publishing your content emerge every day, and, as overwhelming as it all might feel – it’s crucial to keep up with them.

At the same time, new uses of established platforms should never be overlooked.

YouTube Community Feature Can Be Used for Content Sharing

If you have access to a YouTube channel that has over 1,000 subscribers, you can use the Community feature to share your content.

When a piece of content is shared with the community, the post will appear to all of your subscribers.

“We tripled our referral traffic from YouTube since we started posting to our community,” says Antti Alatalo, Marketing Director at CashCow.

Use Audio to Establish a Deeper Connection with Your Audience

Audio is another traditional content distribution channel that appears evergreen.

Simon Elkjær of Nutimo believes that the audio format has given him a deeper connection to his audience:

“I have been doing blogging, YouTube, book launches, events and public speaking amongst other things. But through my podcast, I feel the listeners are getting a deeper connection. When I meet people who are podcast-subscribers, they feel like they know me, they listen to me on evening walks, while commuting, going to the gym or just in a quiet place, in a nice chair. In this way audio is unique. It requires nothing of you, and no screen time to consume. It’s a way of disconnecting from a stressful smartphone or tv screen, and just listening.”

According to Simon, with audio, it is best to go in-depth:

“We changed our format from 15 minutes to about an hour and our listeners loved it. Our format is 20% on topic, and 80% anecdotes, stories, and small talk. Those who listen now really care, and listen because of us, not because of the information.”

Look for New Ways to Use Your Channels

Always be on the lookout for new features of your main distribution channels. Identify and follow the experts in the field. And don’t forget to always experiment yourself – it’s little, subtle touches and tweaks that often help you stay ahead of the content distribution game.

10. Use Paid Promotion Channels for Retargeting

Paid channel targeting is becoming more sophisticated every day. One of the most valuable tactics is retargeting – keeping your brand and content in front of the customers that have already visited your site, or showing ads based on the history of their interaction with some of your content. Content marketers need to make full use of this trend in their social media marketing efforts.

You can build your retargeting lists based on the type of content that your target audiences have already interacted with. Then, you can use these audiences to promote your new content. For example, when promoting a new instructional video, you would target people that have already watched some of your videos.

Once you have a good understanding of your main audience, you can start to experiment with the Lookalike Audiences feature (offered by both Facebook and LinkedIn), targeting audiences with similar characteristics and expanding your reach.

Here is how some content marketers do it.

Oksana Chyketa of Albacross shares some of her Facebook ads strategy insights:

“…One more way to boost your content is by using Facebook ads. The tip here is that you don’t need to target the unknown people, but those who have already been to your site, let’s say during the last 60 days. In this way, you’ll manage to drive only quality leads to your blog and the bonus is that your CPC will be much cheaper.”

Jason Thibault of Massive Kontent has been successful in distributing content on Twitter and Quora:

“Currently, I’m finding that the Twitter ads platform and Quora for Business are offering the best return on ad spend. With Twitter, I upload custom-tailored audiences and continuously build a second ‘website visitors’ audience via the Twitter conversion pixel. If I’ve set everything up correctly I can send 2-400 visitors to a new piece of content for 20-40 cents per click (sometimes less).”

11. Influencer Marketing Tip: Don’t Overlook Micro-Influencers!

According to a recent study by MediaKix, 80% of marketers find that influencer marketing is effective. The good news is that your influencer marketing campaign does not have to come with a hefty price tag. Emerging influencers and micro-influencers often have more genuine engagement with their followers than established ones. While marketers can find themselves working harder initially to identify and contact micro-influencers, it is usually worth the time and effort if you want to reach your niche audiences.

Micro-influencers are also more likely to be interested in collaborations that involve distributing content for free in exchange for the exposure they get.

One great practice is to contact micro-influencers with relevant expertise and ask them to contribute to your pieces of content. “They’ll be your content marketing advocates,” Alexander Porter of Search It Local explains. “Show them the finished content and thank them for their contribution. Avoid overtly asking them to share it, by developing authentic relationships you’ll find these micro-influencers naturally share your content which increases its reach and exposure.”

12. 80/20 Rule: Your Main Focus Should Not Be on Creating Content

Gone are the days when content marketers could just distribute quality content blindly and expect results.

The 80/20 rule of content marketing for 2020 is that only 20% of your time should be spent creating content, while 80% should be devoted to content strategy, distribution and promotion.

Spend More Time Sharing

Outsourcing your content creation to experts with content writing services such as Crowd Content allows you to direct your main efforts to where they matter most – developing an effective strategy and putting your content in front of the right eyes.

The post 12 Content Distribution Tips to Ensure Maximum Exposure in 2020 appeared first on Crowd Content - Blog.

Did you know some of these works were ghostwritten?

• Iacocca: An Autobiography was mostly penned by author William Novak on behalf of, and using stories and information from, Lee Iacocca.
• Profiles in Courage wasn’t written by JFK; the wordsmithing actually came from Kennedy’s speechwriter Ted Sorenson.
• The many stories featuring Nancy Drew, which have been published over almost nine decades, were written by numerous ghostwriters under the name Carolyn Keene.
• All but 35 of The Babysitters Club books were ghostwritten by Peter Lerangis and others, not by author Ann M. Martin.

Publishers have put the power of ghostwriting to work to churn profits and meet voracious fan demands for centuries. And in today’s competitive marketing world, you can put good ghostwriters to work to scale content creation and publishing processes, improve authority and SEO, and better connect with your target audience.

But before you can do those things, you must answer the question, “how does ghostwriting work?” The comprehensive guide below provides everything you need to get started — whether you’re new to hiring ghostwriters or just want to develop a better process for it.

What Is Ghostwriting?

Ghostwriting occurs when someone contributes to creating content without credit for doing so. They don’t get a byline or author credit; in fact, many times someone else’s name appears as the author of the content. In exchange for credit, the person doing the writing typically receives monetary compensation.

ALSO – Ghostwriting Jobs 101: How They Work, Where to Find Them and How to Thrive

Reasons Marketers and Companies Use Ghostwriting

Ghostwriters can offer a number of benefits for yourself or your organization. Here are just a few reasons someone might choose to use a ghostwriter.

• Sharing your expertise when you don’t write well. If you’re an expert or professional in a niche with knowledge to share, ghostwriters can help you do that if you’re not great with the written word. You might create extensive notes and outlines for the writer to work from. The writer might also interview you to get your story or message before committing it to paper.
• You already have a name but don’t have enough time to write. Someone who already has a recognized name in the niche may need help keeping up with demands for content. Many online marketing pros, including Rand Fishkin and Neil Patel, for example, have used ghostwriters to help keep their content production at scale when they’re busy with other tasks.
• Creating lots of content for your brand. Not all ghostwritten work gets an author byline stamped on it. Many companies publish blogs, articles and other content from the brand as a whole and not a single person. Ghostwriters are ideal for online content marketing and branding, which may require that you publish dozens or even hundreds of pieces a week or month. Being able to keep up with that pace while providing high-quality content that resonates with your audience is impossible.
• You don’t have the exact expertise. In some cases, the ghostwriter is actually the one with the knowledge. For example, someone who is a chef may want to launch a coaching business for rising restauranteurs. They come up with an idea to provide a white paper on legal issues for restaurants as a lead generation tool, but they themselves aren’t a legal expert. They might hire a ghostwriter who has both restaurant and legal expertise to draft the white paper.

ALSO – What Is a Ghostwriter Best Able to Help With?

Reasons Writers Agree to Ghostwrite Content

So, using ghostwriters lets you expand your writing team, gain access to writing skills and potentially draw on other people’s knowledge and experience. But why would a ghostwriter agree to create content for you without having their name attached to it?

Mostly, the answer is that they get paid to write the content. Obviously, with money as the motivator, typically the better you pay, the more professional and skilled a ghostwriter you can hire. You do have to be careful when hiring someone for freelance writing, and we’ll cover how to find qualified pros that will do an excellent job in just a bit.

Reasons why #writers agree to ghostwrite content:
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 Monetary compensation

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 They don’t want recognition

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 The benefit of writing on multiple topics

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Other reasons people choose to work ghostwriting gigs rather than publish content under their own names include:

• They have another business or personal brand and they don’t want to interfere with that. For example, someone who is attempting to make a name as a science fiction author may still need to pay the bills. Ghostwriting lets them put their other expertise to work without impacting their author name.
• They don’t want any recognition. Some writers are exceptionally shy. Others have personal reasons they don’t want their name splashed across the internet. Whatever the reasons, the fact that a qualified writer doesn’t want the attention of a byline can work in your favor.
• They enjoy writing for hire on a number of topics. Some writers simply enjoy doing work for other people that lets them research and write about different things all the time. They don’t want to be tied down to a specific niche or responsible to their own platform, and they may have learned they can make a good living by providing A+ service and content to clients.

When Is Ghostwriting Not a Good Method to Generate Content?

Ghostwriting sounds amazing, right? But before you start handing your content off to a freelance writer, make sure ghostwriting is the right move.

It’s generally known that everything that appears on your website probably wasn’t written by you. Most people even realize that your full-time staff might not be responsible for every word. But some content comes with expectations that you either wrote it yourself or had a very hefty hand in the process —examples include letters from the CEO or very personal posts that include your own testimonial about something.

In deciding whether to hire a ghostwriter for a project, ask yourself these questions:

• Do you have an extremely personal tie to this story that would benefit from an authentic first-person account?
• Will your readership feel betrayed if they ever find out you didn’t write the content yourself?
• Will you have to disclose extremely sensitive details to ensure the ghostwriter has the right understanding to write the piece, even though those details won’t make it into the published piece?

In these cases, you may want to write the content yourself. If you’re worried about how the finished piece might look because you’re not a strong writer, you might hire an editor to fix it all up while maintaining the authenticity of your style and voice.

What Are Some Common Legal Concerns With Ghostwriting?

Ghostwriting is completely legal. Technically, it’s an exchange of goods or services. You pay someone, and they give you words they have written (along with the copyright for the content).

But there are some legalities to contend with to ensure you don’t end up on the losing end of a ghostwriting arrangement. Here are a few legal concerns to pay attention to when using ghostwriters to create any type of content.

Copyright: Who Owns the Content?

This is probably the most common concern and is the most important thing to ensure you cover in ghostwriting contracts. Universal Copyright Convention states that copyright for a creative work, including writing, automatically goes to the creator at the time of creation. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to register copyright to enjoy the benefits of owning your own work.

In the case of ghostwriting, you definitely don’t want the writer to maintain this default ownership. The contract must clearly state that the writer is giving up copyright of the work in exchange for the payment you’re offering.

Consider including language in your contract that states:

• The writer agrees that the works created under the contract are “works for hire.”
• The writer agrees that the works belong to the client.
• The writer agrees that copyrights associated with the work also belong to the client.
• In cases where the work might not be considered “works for hire” under any law, the writer agrees to “sell, assign and transfer” rights, title and interest in the work to the client.

Disclosures: Who Can Talk About Authoring the Content?

If you pay someone to write a book or article and then put your own name on it, you may not want the person taking credit for the work in other ways. It’s a good idea to put a nondisclosure agreement in your contract that states the writer agrees to hold his or her participation in the project confidential.

How tight you want to make the NDA depends on your brand and what you’re having someone write. In most cases, clients typically don’t want someone advertising the fact that they wrote the content. They might not mind if someone tells close family or friends what they’re working on. And in some cases, the writer may request permission to share information about the project or snippets of the work with other potential clients to demonstrate their experience and expertise. Work with your writer to ensure the NDA in any contract serves both your needs.

Pay: What Are the Terms of the Transaction?

How you pay, what you pay and when you will pay it should all be covered in detail in any contract. Being as specific as possible when you contract a ghostwriting service protects your interests and helps stave off disagreements later in the process.

The contract should include:

• How much you’ll pay. This can be a flat fee for the work, an hourly payment or payment by the word or page. The easiest way to ensure you’re on the same page with a potential writer is to pay by the word. Make sure you define how the words will be tallied. You might specify that you’ll use the word count from a specific program or that you’ll use an industry benchmark such as 250 words per typed, double-spaced pages.
• How you’ll make payment. Will you pay via a service such as PayPal (and if so, who is responsible for the resulting fees), via an electronic funds transfer into the writer’s bank account or via a mailed check?
• When you will pay. Do you pay upon acceptance of the work? Are you planning to pay within 30 days of acceptance? The ghostwriter or service may have their own terms. Common options are Net 15 or 30 days or full or partial payment upfront. If the project is large, you may set up milestones to make partial payments as the writer delivers various parts of the work.

ALSO – How Much Should I Pay a Freelance Writer?

Ghostwriting Contract Checklist

If you’re drafting a ghostwriting contract, consider working with a legal professional to ensure it has all the clauses and details required to protect you and your company. Make sure it includes everything in this checklist; it’s also a good idea to look for these things in any contract offered by the ghostwriting service.

• Clauses that state the copyright belongs to you (as stated in the section above)
• Confidentiality agreement or NDA (as stated in the section above)
• Payment details (as covered in the section above)
• Clauses that define this as a contract agreement and note the writer or service is responsible for any taxes or other obligations (ensuring this can’t be perceived as a W2 or traditional employment situation)
• Details about expectations for the work, including
  • Quantity — the number of blog posts, articles, product descriptions, social media posts or book chapters, for example
  • Length — a range for the number of words for each piece, such as 800-1000 words for a blog post
  • Timeline — when you expect various parts of the work to begin and when they should be submitted
  • Revision requirements — how many revision rounds you expect to be included in the price; it’s a good idea to always include at least one round
  • Research requirements — how much research do you expect the writer to do for your project; note that more research takes more time and may increase the cost of your project

How Do You Find Qualified Ghostwriters?

Before you can enter into contract negotiations, you need someone to negotiate with. Here are some steps for finding ghostwriters for just about any project or topic.

• Search for and recruit an expert writer. You’ll need to spend some time on LinkedIn, browsing the web and popping into relevant social media groups to connect with writers who might work out. The benefit of this method of finding a ghostwriter is that you connect directly with the writer. The disadvantage is that you might spend a great deal of time sorting through writers until you find the right one, and you still don’t have any guarantees the work will get done and be exactly what you need.
• Put a ghostwriting job out on a freelance bidding site or job board. When you use this method, you wait for the writers to come to you. That reduces the work you have to do in seeking out writers, but it also means that you may get a lot of applications that aren’t even close to what you need. Depending on which site you use, you may have to wade through sub-par writers to find the one diamond in the rough.
• Work with a content company. Content companies like Crowd Content maintain a vast database of writers and can match clients with the freelancers that are best for the work at hand. They can also do the work of recruiting and validating new writers if necessary to meet specific niche needs. Other benefits of working with Crowd Content when you need a ghostwriter is that project managers and customer service pros can work alongside you throughout various stages of your project to ensure you get the content you need.

ALSO – Ghostwriters: The Secret to Maximizing Your In-House Writing Team

Some Other Best Practices for Working With Ghostwriters

Once you find the ideal writer and get the contract details worked out, it’s time to get down to the business of creating content. You might think you can drop the ball fully into the ghostwriter’s side of the court at this point, but be wary of taking your eyes completely off the process.

If you have a long-term relationship with a freelance writer who knows your business and has created content you loved in the past, you might be able to back away and let them do their thing. But instructions are still important, and if you’re working with new-to-you writers or a ghostwriting team, then you may want to follow some of these best practices to ensure optimal results.

1. Account for added time in your process.

If you’ve been creating content yourself or having in-house employees do it, you shouldn’t expect the same turn around times when you switch to ghostwriters — especially at first. And you shouldn’t assume that because you’ve passed the buck on wordsmithing to someone else that content creation no longer takes up any time on your schedule. You’re planning to put your name (or your brand’s name) on this content, so you still have to manage it.

“The biggest challenge we face when hiring ghostwriters is time,” says Zac Harding, Director or Marketing at Sense Chat Labs. “It takes time to manage ghostwriters and to reach out. If your process for managing your ghostwriters is not prepped and easy to follow you may lose their interest right away or, even if you hire them, they’ll not be used to their full potential which means money wasted.”

When working with ghostwriters, plan extra time for:

• Onboarding new writers
• Working out details of projects with writers
• Returning pieces for rounds of revisions
• Providing feedback on content to help ensure ghostwriters get increasingly closer to your ideal
• Updating ghostwritten content with any personal preferences before you publish it

2. Look for people who are knowledgeable about your field.

A common mistake that clients make when seeking ghostwriters is assuming they just need someone who can write, and that any skilled writer will do. After all, if you’re providing all the research and talking points, can’t any writer worth their salt turn it into a high-quality blog post, ebook or article?

The answer is no. Writers have unique skill sets, and you want one that:

• Writes the type of content you need. Marketing content, technical copy, journalistic articles and conversational blog posts all require different writing skills. Some writers can move between these formats and some can only do one or a few.
• Can match your voice. Many writers can adopt a client’s voice with a little practice and some samples. But some writers work best with certain types of voices, and others have such a strong voice themselves that they can’t successfully mimic yours.
• Understands — or is capable of understanding — your topic. This is especially true of highly technical or unique fields. Eric Even Haim, the cofounder and CEO of StilyoApps, says “You want to find people that are already in the field you’re in — the more specific the match is, the better. Try asking your candidate as many questions as you can to make sure you and he are on the same page and that you speak and think in the same wave.”

ALSO – How Can You Find a Great Content Writer Who Has Niche Expertise?

3. Make sure there’s a body of work your ghostwriter can reference.

The easiest way to ensure a writer can match the style, voice and content you’re looking for is to already have some of that content to show them. It’s much easier for a writer to understand what you mean by “funny and engaging” or “formal and professional” when they can read some pages you already like.

“A ghostwriter will be infinitely more effective if there’s already a body of content in place for them to use as reference material,” says Matt Diggity of Diggity Marketing and LeadSpring LLC. “As my business was growing, I wrote constantly to establish my authority as an expert in my industry. That body of work has been a huge asset that helps our ghostwriters maintain my tone and consistency as they take on responsibility.”

If you don’t already have published content under your own name or on your own site, share content from other sites and tell the ghostwriter what you like about it. That helps them hone in on what you’re looking to create.

4. Provide detailed briefs and instructions.

Writers aren’t mind readers. Even if they’ve worked with you for a while, they need instructions to create the content you want. How much instruction you provide depends on your preferences, needs and trust in the writer you’re working with.

Someone who has a long-term relationship with a single writer may be able to say “We’d like a blog post about how to paint your living room,” and let the writer run with it. But in any other case, you typically get better results and less hassle if you spell it out a bit more.

“I’ve found that creating a watertight brief with clearly laid out bullet points and examples, as well as providing a tone of voice document, has dramatically improved the quality of ghostwritten copy that I’ve received,” says Nathan Thompson, digital marketing lead at Pavilion Broadway. “This also avoids any disagreements or ambiguity about exactly what the output should be.”

When you’re creating a brief for ghostwriters, consider including, at minimum:

• Word count ranges
• Keyword requirements
• An outline of what you want included in the piece
• Style and voice instructions with examples or links to examples
• Whether content should be in first, second or third person
• Grammar requirements, such as if you want the Oxford comma used or which style guide you follow
• Topics and phrases to avoid
• Linking requirements for both internal and external linking
• Research requirements, including the types of sources you want used and competitors that should be avoided
• Who the audience is, as this helps the writer better target the piece

5. Run a calibration round — or two.

When the Enterprise team at Crowd Content works with any new client, they always run at least one calibration round. That’s a small batch of content created to the client’s specs to ensure that we actually understand those specs and are hitting them correctly.

Our Director of Enterprise Content, Lisa, always tells clients that we expect to make mistakes during the calibration round. Our project managers and writers aren’t you. We can’t know every single writing choice you would make, and so we have writers complete a handful of tasks so we can get feedback to tweak the process going forward.

We’re not the only ones who champion a calibration round. “I find it’s far more productive to have an early feedback session,” says Thompson. “If you are getting 100 pieces of product copy written, ask to receive the first 3 or 4 initially, provide constructive and annotated feedback and go from there.”

Taking the time to hold one or more calibration rounds with new ghostwriters (or new projects with existing writers) saves you a lot of potential hassle and money in the long-run.

Start Working With Professional Ghostwriting Teams Today

If you’re ready to take the plunge and reap the benefits of working with ghostwriters, contact Crowd Content or sign up for a self-serve account. We can help you find the ideal writer for your project, and our customized content solutions let you hand over as much control of the process as you’re comfortable with while ensuring the utmost quality.

Benefits of Working With Ghostwriters Through Crowd Content

You can find ghostwriters via LinkedIn, internet searches or job posts on freelancing boards, but you can also turn to professional services such as Crowd Content to make the entire process easier. Here are some reasons to work with ghostwriters via Crowd Content:

• You don’t have to worry about copyright. Our terms of service ensure clients receive copyright to the work upon payment.
• Payment methods are standardized, and you can find options to fit your budget.
• Revision requests are automatically built into the process.
• Our gamified writing system includes perks to entice writers to meet your deadlines, and since turn around times are between a few hours and a few days on average, you’re never left hanging.
• Crowd Content writers have already agreed to terms of service that cover NDAs, tax liabilities and other critical details.
• You’ll have access to thousands of writers, supporting your ability to find an experienced, expert authority regardless of what niche you’re covering at any given time.

The post How Does Ghostwriting Work? The Complete Guide to Hiring the Voice Behind Your Message appeared first on Crowd Content - Blog.

How Much Should I Pay a Freelance Writer?

As a business owner, you need to find a balance between paying a freelance writer what they deserve and not decimating your budget. This would be easier if there were a set rate for writing, but that’s not the case. With so many types of content, niches, and other factors in play, figuring out the going rate isn’t always simple.

It’s like hiring a plumber or any other home service contractor. The amount you pay a relatively new-to-the-biz plumber differs from what a veteran might charge you with decades of experience. Add offerings such as regular versus emergency service and routine tasks versus specialty tasks, and the rates shift again.

A low rate doesn’t mean poor quality, and a high rate doesn’t mean you’re getting the best. That’s why it’s crucial to consider your needs, the industry norm, and other ingredients of the project pie before you set a rate and start your hunt.

Factors influencing freelance writer rates

Many factors go into determining how much a freelance writer charges. Some are within your control, such as the length of the project and the amount of research. Other factors depend on the freelancer’s professional background and personal circumstances. Get to know each element, and you’ll be better prepared to make the right writer an offer that benefits both parties.

1. Content type and purpose

Consider what content you need and how you plan to use it. Some types of writing are best handled by a specialist with extensive experience in your industry, while a general writer can manage others. Product descriptions and broad-topic blog posts with minimal research requirements are easier to write than case studies or white papers. 

Freelance writer rates tend to be higher for content that’s used to convert prospects into qualified leads or leads into paying customers. You can also expect to pay more if you need a writer for highly technical topics. For example, a medical device manufacturer needing a case study should expect to pay more than a fashion designer who needs basic product descriptions.

Here are some of the most common types of content:

• Articles
• Blog posts
• Press releases
• Case studies
• White papers
• Reports
• E-books
• Email newsletters
• Infographics
• Thought leadership pieces
• Product descriptions
• Category descriptions
• How-to guides
• Sales letters
• Landing pages

2. Content quality

When it comes to quality, speed, and price, there’s an old saying in the business world: “You can have it fast. You can have it good. You can have it cheap. Pick two.” In other words, you shouldn’t expect top-tier quality at bargain prices. This informal explanation of the iron triangle is a business concept related to scope, time, and cost.

If you’re planning to hire a writer, think about whether you want to prioritize your budget or the quality of your content. Quality should be your top priority if you’re trying to win new clients or get media coverage for your business. For basic product descriptions, you may be able to give your budget more weight.

Just remember your published content needs to paint your business in a positive light. There’s no real benefit to paying bargain-basement freelance writer rates if the finished product is riddled with errors or makes your company look bad.

3. Additional responsibilities

If you expect your writer to wear more than one hat or provide more than basic writing duties, expect to pay a higher rate. Depending on the type of project you’re doing, you may need to pay for the following:

• Travel time, lodging, and other costs associated with on-site work
• Time spent interviewing sources
• Photography or stock photo sourcing
• Article pitches to digital or print publications
• Graphic design/document layout
• Extra revisions
• Editorial services

4. Turnaround time

Freelance writers usually work on multiple projects simultaneously, many of which are scheduled months in advance. If you need a quick turnaround time, the writer may have to reschedule other projects or work extra hours to write your content. Remember the plumber analogy? If you need someone to tackle a major leak ASAP, you pay a premium for priority status. Likewise, freelancers often charge a premium for flexibility.

Even if you’re paying extra for a fast turnaround, you should have reasonable expectations. While writing a short blog post in 24 hours is possible, a writer may need more time to collect data for a case study or interview sources for a long-form article.

5. Expertise required

It’s a good idea to write a job description or request for proposal before you start looking for a writer. The document should spell out the knowledge, skills, and abilities a freelancer needs to mesh well with your team. Consider the type of expertise required. Do you need a journalist who can write long-form articles about your business? How about a technical writer with experience writing user documentation for complex software packages? 

You may also look for writers with specific degrees or professional certifications. If you’re hiring a writer to craft content about project management, someone with the Project Management Professional certification may provide deeper insight than a generalist writer without the PMP credential.

6. Project requirements

Not all writing projects have the same requirements. Some clients provide templates and ask their writers to submit completed projects via email. Others want their writers to use a content management system (e.g., WordPress, Joomla) to write the content, add photos, and develop meta titles and descriptions.

At Crowd Content, we work with clients who have detailed requirements regarding keyword usage, formatting, backlinking, and image use. Generally, the more precise your requirements are, the more you can expect to pay a freelancer.

7. Author credit

Freelance writer rates also depend on whether you plan to give the author a byline or publish the work under your name. Publishing under the name of a well-known writer gives your company and website credibility — something Google’s algorithm loves and looks for — so you can expect to pay more if you include the writer’s byline on your site.

How Freelance Writer Pay Is Determined

There are typically three ways freelancers get paid.

• By the word: This is arguably the most common and straightforward pricing method. Paying by the word helps you manage your budget — 20 cents per word times 1000 words always equals a maximum of $200. But word count doesn’t always equal value. For instance, a 20-word Facebook post is typically more expensive than $4.
• By the hour: Many clients like to pay by the hour because it’s the system they’re most accustomed to. But if a writer works quickly, they’re penalized for their expertise. Conversely, a slow but methodical writer could exceed your budget. For those reasons, hourly pay is best reserved for add-on services, such as interviewing an executive for a business profile or attending a Zoom strategy meeting with your marketing team.
• By the post/page/project: Freelance writing rates set by the post or project are often the fairest way to approach projects that require a lot of knowledge but few words. Flat fees also work if you have a budget in mind and don’t know how many hours it will take to complete the project.

Rates for Freelance Writing Services

Carol Tice, an experienced journalist and the owner of Make a Living Writing, conducted an annual survey to determine how much freelance writers earn for various projects. The 2020 survey included more than 600 participants at all levels of experience. Approximately 50% of respondents indicated making over $100 for a short blog post (500-800 words); for longer blog posts between 1,000 and 2,000 words, most writers reported earnings of up to $350. 

According to Tice, writers should expect to be paid hundreds of dollars per page for case studies and white papers, as they’re “heavy-duty lead generators for businesses that help them book millions in new revenue.” Short marketing email prices ranged from $100 to $750 per email.

As of 2022, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics put the median pay for writers and authors at $73,150 or $35.17 per hour. Using that model, you could estimate how long a project would take and pay by the hour or the project. For instance, a blog that should take about 2 hours may cost about $70. But using that rating system across the board doesn’t consider industry, expertise, or content type. Content focusing on specific niches and requiring extra education or credentials is priced higher than articles requiring basic research. An agency outsourcing content for a portfolio of end clients might encounter the following rates for an article or blog:

• Education: 25 cents per word
• Business: 30 cents per word
• Fintech: 50 cents per word

The rate for a buyer’s guide or email template might be slightly lower in each category, while the rate for technical writing, such as a white paper or case study, nearly doubles. When you work with Crowd Content, you get access to teams of freelancers who write at various pay rates. We review your budget and let you know what to expect regarding quality and turnaround time.

Making Room for Content in Your Marketing Budget

Content is one of the most important aspects of any marketing campaign. Whether you run a small business or work in the marketing department of a Fortune 500 company, great content helps you boost your search engine rankings and increase conversion rates. If you want high-quality content, you need to pay reasonable freelance writing rates based on the scope of the project, your company’s needs, and the writer’s skills and experience.To see how a freelance writer can help you grow your business, look at Crowd Content’s content creation services today.

The post Freelance Writer Rates: How Much Should You Pay in 2024? appeared first on Crowd Content - Blog.

But, we’re finding more and more that these don’t have to be two distinct strategies. Content marketing and paid channels like Facebook and Google Ads CAN be melded together, and what’s more, it may be more effective than using one or the other.

This is a discussion about how content and advertising can be used together in a cost-effective, high-ROI campaign.

What Is Content Marketing?

The first step to understanding how to mix content and advertising is to understand exactly what content marketing truly means. Many business leaders think that if they have a blog and post content regularly, it’s a content marketing strategy.

If you want your content marketing to not be a complete waste of time, though, you have to think hard about the goal of any given piece of content you create. Let’s say you write a blog. How can you get the work you’ve done in front of the right sets of eyes?

Valuable content can be truly invaluable when used with a variety of strategies, according to the Content Marketing Institute:

Content is non-negotiable in an SEO strategy; a blog post optimized for keywords, backlinks, and on and off-page best practices has the potential to multiply the number of views on a piece of content.

Email marketing: No matter the type of email list you have access to, thin content that isn’t relevant to your readers won’t get the clicks to justify continued use of the channel.

It’s crucial in social media; even loyal customers aren’t quick to engage with weak content.

ALSO – Social Media: How Does it Impact Your SEO in 2019?

Content Marketing and Ads: Addressing the Limitations of Unpaid Media

But, what happens when your organic and “unpaid” channels aren’t getting the results you need to promote your products and services effectively? If you’re a marketer for a smaller brand without the authority to compete on a level playing field with the big boys, SEO, email, and organic social media alone may fall short.

For example, email campaigns are generally high-ROI activities, but only if you have the email addresses to make it worthwhile. Social media is great for nurturing a warmer group, but organic posts are unlikely to reach colder parts of your target audience.

This is when it’s time to start pursuing paid channels. But, there’s a mistake that many marketers make when switching from content marketing to paid advertising: they de-emphasize valuable, high-performing content, with the expectation that adding money to the equation will make up for it.

Why Is Content So Important in Paid Advertising (and Vice Versa)?

Imagine you’re running a Facebook ads campaign. You optimize the targeting and reach perfectly. You do everything right, except build your ads on the back of a great piece of content that provides a solution to a relevant issue faced by your audience (psst… here are some examples of content that inspires and excites).

What’s going to happen? Most likely, your cost-per-click (CPC) will be high and your engagement rate low. In short, your ads will be a waste of money.

The same goes for something like Google PPC. Without valuable content to direct people who click, your opportunities to get new leads without offering discounts or special promotions will be limited.

So, we’ve established that content can be limited without paid channels, but also, that paid channels can be limited without great content. Leveraging them both can be the answer.

How to Mix Paid Ads and Content Marketing

We understand that leveraging paid traffic with valuable, relevant content can address common roadblocks that can arise when you run a campaign using just one or the other. But, getting started can be tough. How do you know what to do first?

Most marketers agree: content comes first. You need to identify your strongest content and work backward. But, how do you decide which content to use? Here are a few examples of how to identify valuable content and use it effectively in content advertising.

Identify the Best Content for Your Chosen Paid Channels

The harmony between your content and the way it gets distributed should be top of mind.

Andy Mura, Head of Marketing at Userlane: “when it comes to paid promotion for top-of-the-funnel content, the first — and highly important — step is to identify the kind of content that will yield the best results.”

The goal of this practice is to find something that marketing guru Larry Kim calls “unicorn content”. This is content that ranks high, gets tons of engagement on social channels, and outperforms relevant KPIs. But, how do you single out this rare type of piece?

Look to the Past

This is where having a breadth of content-focused campaigns in the past can give you the advantage. Based on past results (traffic, click-through rates, and other data), you can identify high-performing content to promote through paid channels.

Don’t make the mistake of assuming something that performed well in the past will simply work in the future, however. Here are some tips to refresh old content for a new purpose (or in this case, paid promotion).

Consider the “How”, Not Just the “What”

What’s the risk of choosing the wrong content for a given channel? Low engagement and poor ROI. Imagine you’re using a Google ads campaign to break into a new market, and research has uncovered the potential to reach new leads. If you build your ads on the back of content that’s more relevant to current customers than cold leads, you won’t get the response you’re looking for and that spend will go to waste.

But what happens if you don’t have the data on past content to inform future strategy?

Facebook Ads Content Marketing: You Can Use Paid Ads to Test Content

If you don’t have good data to use when choosing content to build a paid strategy on it, you don’t have to guess — you can build your own data.

For example: Facebook’s advertising algorithm gives marketers the ability to test content across a variety of different audiences, as well as test two pieces of content against each other to the same audience. This is the strategy used by Quincy Smith, a marketer at Ampjar, when conceptualizing a paid content marketing campaign.

Says Smith, “we have audience segmentation in Facebook that corresponds to our user-profiles and so we will promote pieces of content to these groups and see who responds favorably.”

Marketers who just use paid ads to boost content they already know to be “high-performing” may be missing out on using these channels as a way to identify new, strong content that may perform even better.

Content + Retargeting = Conversions

Most people are familiar with the concept of “funnel”. Top-of-funnel customers are those who know almost nothing about your brand. Bottom-of-funnel customers are those making a purchase.

You can use paid content marketing to push prospects along the funnel — simply promote broadly relevant content and track the hand-raisers. These are the people who will be more receptive to receiving narrower, “mid-funnel” content in the near future.

Facebook and Google ad channels provide an easy way to track this timeline: just build a Facebook ad promoting content to the coldest leads — those who have never even heard of your brand before. With the installation of a Facebook pixel on your landing page, you can build a list of users who are farther down in the funnel and thus, more likely to convert.

Paid Ads and Content Can Be Mutually Beneficial

By backing your paid advertising with great content, you can drive leads to your business, but that’s not the only potential benefit:

According to Abel Hegyes, Marketing Director at eBacon, “website visitors who are just looking for information have turned into customers along the line. So our PPC strategy helps to drive traffic to our informational content sites and targets customers who are in the educational stage of our sales funnel.”

This is a great example of the symbiotic relationship between content marketing and PPC advertising. In the best case, an ad campaign built on a particular piece of content will drive new leads to your business, but even if it doesn’t, traffic to the page from users looking to relevant answers will boost your SEO, even if your content isn’t destined to end up on at the top of a results page.

The Best Channels for Promoting Content

We’ve mentioned a few of the channels that will provide the highest ROI for content promotion: Google Ads is among the most commonly used, and for good reason — when leveraged with top-of-funnel keywords and match phrases and paired with unique, relevant landing pages, Google Ads can provide cost-effective promotion of a wide range of content. Facebook, too, has been successful in this purpose.

Some channels you may not have considered offer cost-effective native advertising on a wide variety of sites, meaning that you can see your content placed on domains that are relevant to your audience. Among the most widely used are Taboola and Outbrain.

Your Next Steps

As we mentioned, the content comes before you can think about injecting ad spend into the equation. This starts with figuring out what your audience needs, and identifying relevant posts, white papers, case studies and more that helps meet those needs.

This can take place using a content audit, an intensive process of indexing all the content you’ve created (and deployed) in the past. You may not have the type of content you need, however. Before you can start blending content marketing and advertising, you need to have a content creation process that yields valuable assets.