Fully understanding best practices when it comes to staple strategies like digital marketing and content marketing is a must. While digital marketing and content marketing definitely complement one another, they’re not the same concept, nor is one more important than the other. To get ahead in today’s fast-paced digital landscape and stay there, brands must master and combine both strategies.

In this comprehensive guide to digital marketing vs. content marketing, we’ll cover everything you need to know to do exactly that. We’ll touch on the differences between the two, the importance of each, and how you can leverage both to benefit your brand and ongoing marketing strategy.

What Are the Fundamental Differences Between Digital Marketing and Content Marketing?

Content marketing and digital marketing are both key approaches to marketing in the internet age. But they differ in their overall goals and the strategies a marketing pro might use to meet those goals. 

It’s also important to understand that content marketing is a type of digital marketing. So, while all content marketing is digital marketing, digital marketing covers much more potential ground. For that reason, you can have a digital marketing strategy without incorporating content marketing, but the reverse can’t be true.

Here’s an overview of some additional differences between the two:

• Goals: Content marketing is about reaching a target audience via the creation and distribution of helpful, value-rich content. However, digital marketing collectively leverages many different marketing channels and techniques.
• Strategies: Content marketing is largely focused on playing the long game by winning consumer trust, fostering strong brand-customer relationships, and empowering buyers to make better decisions. Digital marketing also leverages long-term strategies and approaches but incorporates short-term solutions into the mix to bolster sales.
• Methodologies: Although both disciplines are ultimately about advertising, content marketing typically adopts a more subtle approach to reach consumers without making them feel like marketing targets. (Think blogs, podcasts, how-to guides, etc.) Digital marketing, on the other hand, can be more direct via solutions like pay-per-click (PPC) or social media advertising. 

Content marketing benefits

The benefits of including a solid approach to content marketing in your overall digital marketing strategy are numerous and include examples like the following:

• It offers audiences a better overall user experience with your brand.
• It helps you reach target audiences without alienating them via hard-sell tactics.
• It’s cost-effective, as even professional solutions are often affordable and easy to scale.
• It encourages existing and potential customers to engage with and advocate for your brand.
• It helps foster brand loyalty and cultivate a sense of community associated with your brand.

Digital marketing benefits

And, of course, no modern approach to marketing can be considered complete without an essential ongoing digital marketing strategy in place. Here are the benefits digital marketing brings to the table for brands like yours:

• The versatility of a marketer’s collective digital toolbox is near limitless, leaving room for plenty of creativity and possibility. 
• It’s flexible, as go-to tactics and approaches are easy to adapt to a brand’s evolving needs over time.
• It facilitates connection with a much larger audience and broader reach than you’d have without it.
• It’s a solid way to boost lead generation and qualify those leads for further processing.
• Results are trackable, measurable, and easy to analyze in real-time.

Why Incorporate Content Marketing into Your Strategy

Content marketing isn’t a mandatory part of your digital marketing strategy, but it is one that could be highly beneficial, especially in today’s marketing landscape. Modern audiences don’t like feeling blatantly sold to. They like buying from helpful brands that care about building customer relationships and providing exceptional value. 

Content marketing can help you achieve your marketing goals by:

• Aligning your branding and business goals with audience needs and expectations
• Boosting SEO efforts by providing search engine users with the helpful, in-depth content they’re looking for
• Elevating conversion rates by earning and keeping the trust of your audience and customers
• Providing structure and substance to support your branding efforts 
• Complementing your social media efforts and encouraging a sense of community around your brand

Build a winning content marketing strategy that turns heads when you explore tailored strategy services from Crowd Content today! We’ve got the expertise and resources to make audiences sit up and take notice of your brand.

How Can Digital Marketing Enhance Content Marketing Efforts?

Even the most incredible content won’t make a winner out of your brand simply by existing. Dedicated digital marketing strategies and efforts help amplify the reach of your carefully crafted content and ensure it finds its intended audience. Here are some key examples of how:

• Properly optimizing your content for search engines helps improve visibility and expand your website’s overall scope.
• Using social media to help your content and brand message get around boosts engagement, generates sales leads, and helps prep curious consumers to one day become paying customers.
• Advertising tactics like PPC and social media ads help get even more potential eyes on your content.
• Email marketing and ongoing newsletter efforts can be effective outlets for fantastic content that gets results.
• Digital marketing plays a role in setting your brand up as an industry authority.
• Keeping track of digital marketing metrics as they relate to your marketing content helps you brainstorm increasingly more effective campaigns in the future.

Content optimization for SEO

Many modern purchase decisions start with a simple Google search. That search might be the consumer’s way of exploring what a specific type of product has to offer, but it could just as easily start with a simple question or two related to a problem they don’t even realize they have yet. 

Now, imagine that your content is what ultimately answers those questions. Those eager consumers will come to trust your brand as an authority on that topic and see your products or services as the solutions they’ve been looking for. But that will happen only if search engine users can find your content in the first place.

Content marketing and SEO go hand in hand in that they support one another beautifully. SEO ensures that users looking for content like yours can find and consume it, thanks to factors like high SERP rankings, readable formatting, and smart keyword use. Essential SEO practices that help optimize content and set it up for success include:

• Keyword research: Smart keyword use helps your content align with both consumer pain points and search engine standards.
• Metadata: Strong, fully optimized metadata, such as SEO titles, meta descriptions, and image alt text, improve visibility and overall user experience.
• Relevant backlinks: Helpful internal and external links help users find answers to even more of their questions by providing easy access to supporting content on a given topic.
• SEO-friendly formatting: Formatting is crucial to SEO success for your marketing content. Think keyword-optimized titles and headings, natural language, visual aids, and structuring that makes content easy to read and skim.
• Regular updates: Google loves content that’s well curated and maintained, so adding regular content updates to your ongoing content strategy is a great way to ensure successful pieces continue to perform.
• Professional services: Hiring trusted content marketing experts like the ones you’ll meet at Crowd Content can help take a given strategy from good to spectacular. Such services bring expertise and know-how to your campaigns that are affordable and scalable and can set your brand up for lasting success.

Integrating SEO with content marketing strategies is more than just a good idea. It’s a tried and true recipe for significantly improving the organic reach of your content, especially with seasoned professionals in your corner. 

For example, Crowd Content leveraged best SEO practices to help a leading commerce agency elevate its content marketing strategy and achieve page-one rankings for 57 target keywords. We accomplished this via a combination of optimization-focused methods, including assembling a team of ultra-qualified content writers to help produce content and aligning the agency’s content needs with top keywords and best SEO practices.

Leverage digital tools for content distribution

Digital marketing’s ability to influence the success of your marketing content doesn’t start and stop at search engine optimization. Digital tools like paid advertising interfaces, social media platforms, and additional content distribution channels are effective, convenient ways to take your content marketing efforts to the next level. 

For example, the right digital marketing platforms can help you distribute your content more effectively. Here are some key examples of how:

• Like search engines, social media platforms like Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and TikTok are in the business of serving up helpful, entertaining content their users want to consume. This makes them solid channels for helping your content find a larger audience.
• Partnering with industry thought leaders and social media influencers to help audiences connect with your content is another way to achieve wider distribution. Be sure to choose partners whose audiences overlap neatly with yours. Also, consider whether you want to join forces with bloggers, Instagram experts, TikTokers, etc.
• Engaging with your audience across distribution platforms like your blog, newsletter, or favorite social media platforms helps inspire consumers to share your content with others and advocate for your brand.
• You can maximize your reach by studying user metrics, assessing when your audience is most active, and scheduling your content distribution efforts accordingly. You can also use that data to understand your audience better and more accurately predict which content ideas resonate best with them.
• Digital ads and PPC options are good for more than directly selling your products or services to appropriate consumers. They’re also excellent ways to gain more distribution for your best content offerings. 

Advanced Digital and Content Marketing Strategies

Fully understanding that both digital marketing and content marketing are key parts of any successful brand’s ongoing growth strategy is one thing. Successfully implementing a thorough system for maximizing both is another. Let’s go over a few advanced strategies for doing exactly that.

Master search engine optimization (SEO)

Crafting fantastic content no one can find isn’t going to do you much good when it comes to your marketing efforts, so mastering SEO should be a top priority. Conduct thorough keyword research and carefully choose competitive examples to target across your campaigns. 

Do supplementary research periodically to ensure the key phrases you’re targeting are still the right options for your brand. When it makes sense, target timelier keywords related to hot topics. Keep in mind that social media platforms have search functions and best SEO practices of their own. Research hashtags, trending topics, etc., and use them accordingly to make your content more visible.

Best for: Content marketing and digital marketing

Automate where it makes sense

Numerous tasks go into any digital marketing campaign, but only some truly require hands-on attention from a human team member. Many tasks are necessary but repetitive, making them an excellent fit for automation software. Possible examples include:

• Email segmentation and content distribution
• Lead nurturing via targeted content delivery
• Lead scoring and qualification
• Email personalization 
• Landing page optimization
• Data collection and pattern analysis

Best for: Digital marketing

Personalize, personalize, personalize

At this point, it’s pretty safe to say that hyper-relevant, personalized content experiences are no longer simply nice to have. They’re the new gold standard, and modern audiences expect the brands they do business with to measure up. 

When delivering content directly to a customer (as with newsletter marketing or trigger emails), make sure it’s as personalized as possible. Use the recipient’s name in your messaging, and ensure the content shown overlaps with their interests, preferences, or previous behavior. Regularly analyze customer data to develop a better understanding of what your audience wants and expects.

Be sure your content marketing efforts also cater to consumers at every stage of their buying journey. For example, consider which concerns people might have when first discovering a pain-point solution versus when they’re evaluating product options or almost ready to complete a sale. 

Best for: Digital marketing and content marketing

Supplement your efforts with paid advertising

If SEO is about playing the long game by building authority, earning top SERP rankings, and cultivating an audience in the first place, then paid advertising is about driving traffic in short but powerful boosts. Turn to solutions like pay-per-click Google Ads, Facebook advertising, and similar solutions to launch new products, promote special events, or help important content pieces gain more traction.

Additional solutions like sponsored posts can also be helpful additions to your marketing approach. Maximize your potential results by choosing partners carefully and ensuring their audience is the right fit for the content you plan to create. 

Best for: Content marketing and digital marketing

Maintain a comprehensive content calendar

Between your company blog, newsletter, email marketing blasts, social media feeds, etc., you have your work cut out for you as far as your ongoing content output is concerned. Keeping everything straight is no easy feat, but a thorough content calendar can help take the guesswork out of the process and keep things on track.

Use your calendar to organize and coordinate everything on your content to-do list, including which tasks are assigned to which team members. Plan production and deadlines as far in advance as possible to ensure you’re covered in case of scheduling snags or unforeseen emergencies.

Best for: Content marketing

Integrate AI into your marketing strategies

Artificial intelligence (AI) is everywhere these days, including digital marketing, and it can be an incredibly helpful resource. However, to keep quality and efficiency levels high, it’s crucial to know which tasks are a good fit for AI and which aren’t.

Try leveraging AI for digital or content marketing tasks like keyword research, customer behavior analysis, pattern identification, ad targeting, social listening, and customer segmentation. Leave tasks like creating important pillar content, thought leadership pieces, etc., to skilled human team members. Any AI-generated content you do use should be thoroughly edited, fact-checked, and polished by an experienced human editor before publication.

Best for: Content marketing and digital marketing

Deep Dive into Tools and Technologies

Having the right tools and tech applications in your corner can help you manage customer relationships, keep your website functional, and make short work of user data analysis. Let’s explore some of the most helpful, ubiquitous options that brands just like yours are using today.

CRM systems

Customer-brand relationships are everything when it comes to branding success these days, so it pays to take care of yours. Customer relationship management (CRM) systems help businesses boost customer retention rates, facilitate smoother communications, and make customer segmentation efforts significantly easier and more efficient. Examples include but are not limited to HubSpot, Zoho, and Salesforce.

Best for: Digital marketing 

Content management systems

Content management systems (CMS) provide effective, user-friendly ways to assist with content creation and organization. However, they also make it possible to deliver the right content to the right person at precisely the right time, enabling higher conversion rates and stronger brand-customer relationships. A good CMS also supports cost-effective scalability, smooth collaborations, and timely updates for existing content. Popular examples include WordPress, Wix, Drupal, and Joomla.

Best for: Content marketing and digital marketing

SEO tools

Comprehensive SEO tools like Ahrefs, SEMRush, and others help modern marketers make sense of adequately optimizing for Google and the rest of the search engines. Along with other benefits they bring to the table, they can assist with key concerns like brand awareness, user experience, organic traffic growth, authority-building, economic lead generation, and PPC success. The world of SEO tools is expansive and includes options to suit many different purposes, including additional popular examples like Google Analytics, Moz, SpyFu, Screaming Frog, and others.

Best for: Digital marketing and content marketing

Programmatic advertising platforms

Solutions like programmatic advertising platforms simplify the process of managing your collective catalog of digital ads via software and automation technology. The benefits of incorporating one into your ongoing marketing strategies include the ability to easily create data-driven ads. Top options can also support fraud detection, brand safety, ideal ad placement, format alignment, and overall campaign optimization. Examples include Adobe Advertising Cloud, AdRoll, MediaMath, and SmartyAds.

Best for: Digital marketing 

Evaluating the Integrated Impact of Digital and Content Marketing

Anytime you decide to change things up when it comes to your ongoing digital and content marketing strategies, it’s crucial to track and measure the success of each effort. This lets you know in real-time what’s working versus what’s not, making it possible to pivot and change tactics quickly and efficiently. Here are some factors to consider when assessing your various campaigns:

• User data analysis gives you a window straight into the heads of your target audience. It lends insight into what people like, what they’re ignoring, what’s helping to convert leads,  when you should post new content, etc.
• Competitive analysis lets you know where you stand in comparison to your competitors. Use what you learn to fill content gaps, address unmet audience needs, elevate your approach, and pull ahead of the pack.
• Direct engagement with your audience is a reliable way to learn what your customers do and don’t like, straight from the source. You can leverage social media to do this by starting and facilitating ongoing conversations, as well as sending out surveys, requesting interviews, etc.

Numerous tools simplify the process of tracking and analyzing your marketing efforts, ranging from completely comprehensive to simple and niched. Popular examples include Google Analytics, HubSpot, SEMRush, and Facebook Insights.

Detailed metrics and KPIs for measuring success

Key performance indicators (KPIs) like conversion rates, bounce rates, and click-through rates are essential for assessing the success of any marketing strategy. However, which KPIs make the most sense for a campaign depends entirely on your goals. 

Here are a few to keep track of for digital marketing:

• Website traffic: This metric is fundamental for any digital marketing effort. Be sure to not only assess overall traffic rates but also compare the sources of that traffic.
• Click-through rate: Click-through rates help assess the effectiveness of your written copy and the relevancy of your targeting.
• Conversion rate: This is one of the most important metrics for digital marketers, as it shines a light on how successful a campaign has been at turning leads into paying customers.
• Bounce rate: High bounce rates can be a sign that visitors aren’t finding what they’re looking for when they hit your landing pages and suggest some tweaking might be in order.
• Return on investment (ROI): This shows whether you’re getting back what you put into your campaigns as far as resources and to what degree. The higher the ROI, the more successful the campaign.

Most of the examples above also apply to content marketing. However, the following  KPIs are  used for tracking efficient content campaigns:

• Backlinks: A link back to your content is like a vote of confidence for its quality. The more successful your efforts are, the more high-quality backlinks you will accumulate.
• Social media engagement: Likes, comments, and shares are all signs that your content resonates as it should be with your target audience.
• Subscriptions: Good content inspires people to follow you on social media, sign up for your newsletter, or take action to ensure they don’t miss future posts.

Sector-Specific Marketing Insights

Keep in mind that customization is the order of the day when it comes to successful digital and content marketing. Tailor your efforts according to your industry and target audience to ensure the ultimate success of your campaigns. Here are some examples.

• Retail: Retail brands benefit from people-forward strategies that tap into various social trends, making tactics like influencer marketing, social media contests, and special events highly effective. Coordinated omnichannel marketing and trend-specific keyword research can also be helpful.
• Healthcare: Audiences searching for healthcare services or information want fact-based solutions they can trust with the integrity of their health. Think top-tier content written by certified industry experts, in-depth research, relevant data or studies, etc. 
• Technology: As with healthcare, tech-based services and products call for meaty content supported by data analysis, case studies, and detailed specs. Highly targeted, personalized digital marketing efforts and social proof can also be helpful here.

Case Studies: Successful Digital and Content Marketing Integrations

Want a closer look at how digital marketing and content marketing look in action when they’re well-integrated? Here are a couple of case studies from Crowd Content to help show you what’s possible. 

SEOPlus+

When award-winning marketing company SEOPlus+ first came to Crowd Content, they were looking to raise the bar when it came to EEAT-compliant niche content creation and increase conversion rates in the process. Thanks to a combination of authority content written by top-tier professional writers, full alignment with a robust SEO strategy, and easy scalability, SEOPlus+ was able to achieve an incredible average dwell time of six minutes.

FHEHealth

FHEHealth is a substance abuse and recovery institute that came to Crowd Content for help with SEO optimization and high-volume authority content production. By leveraging a combination of our platform’s content options, including managed content services, access to expert in-house writers, and infographic-related services, FHEHealth established a pattern of steady month-to-month organic traffic growth.

Build a Future-Proof Strategy Combining Digital and Content Marketing

Staying relevant and competitive in an ever-evolving digital world is about more than simply knowing what to do right now. It’s also about successfully future-proofing your strategy so you can stay ahead of the pack for years to come. Try the following tips and strategies:

• User experience is a huge factor affecting the outcome of your branding, SEO, and customer retention efforts, and it will continue to be. Make it a top priority.
• Save time and ensure resources go as far as possible by using automation to streamline content production and make short work of repetitive tasks.
• Use digital analytics and market data to help predict future digital and content marketing trends. Be the first to the party when possible to ensure ongoing relevancy.
• Keep your finger on the pulse of changing consumer expectations and use what you learn to inform ongoing marketing decisions.
• Embrace tactics like social media engagement and user-generated content to make your customers part of your ongoing brand story and help them feel involved.

The Power of Combining Digital and Content Marketing

As you can see, the future of successful branding, customer connection, and conversion is about more than deciding whether digital marketing or content marketing is a better fit for you. It’s about mastering both, integrating the two, and customizing your approaches to suit your unique business goals and changing audience expectations.

Whether you’re looking to breathe fresh life into an existing marketing strategy or establish a new one that’s virtually guaranteed to succeed, Crowd Content has you covered with access to top writers, SEO resources, project management services, etc. Take your digital marketing efforts to the next level today with our expert SEO content services!

The post The Complete Guide to Digital Marketing vs. Content Marketing 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.

In this guide, we’ll share our comprehensive knowledge of visual content marketing. You’ll learn about the diverse types of visual content and how to use them strategically, explore real-world examples of successful campaigns, and discover a step-by-step process for creating your own robust strategy. We will discuss innovative tools, best practices for integration, and techniques for building trust using visuals. 

Get ready to craft unforgettable brand stories using eye-catching visuals that resonate with your audience.

What Is Visual Content Marketing?

Visual content marketing is the strategic use of visuals to achieve your marketing goals. This includes images, videos, infographics, illustrations, and any other format that visually communicates your message.

Leverage imagery to:

• Quickly attract and retain the attention of fickle scrollers
• Simplify complex concepts and data
• Evoke emotions and build stronger brand connections

Images, graphics, and videos often convey information and drive action more effectively than text alone. Picture the difference between assembling new furniture using only written instructions versus diagrams or a video tutorial. 

What’s more, visuals allow you to personalize your brand, fostering a deeper emotional bond with your audience. Authenticity is a game-changer for building trust and standing out in the increasingly crowded digital landscape.

Why Is Visual Marketing Important?

Our brains are wired for visuals. Since the dawn of humanity, we’ve communicated through visual storytelling. Cave paintings, hieroglyphs, and modern emojis all convey meaning and emotion universally. An innate preference for visual information shapes how our content consumption patterns today. 

In particular, our brains process visuals 60,000 times faster than text. This has profound implications for today’s marketers. The benefits of visual content marketing include:

• Improving comprehension and recall: The brain processes visual communication better than text, which equals better information retention.
• Triggering an emotional response: Visuals evoke feelings, forming strong connections between your brand and your audience.
• Driving action: Compelling visuals, paired with clear calls to action, can increase engagement, clicks, and conversions.

Visual content marketing isn’t just a nice-to-have. It’s a necessity for brands that want to be seen, understood, and remembered.

Key Elements of Impactful Visual Content

Here’s what sets truly impactful visuals apart:

Clarity and purpose: Every piece of visual content should have a clear objective. Are you simplifying a complex process? Design an infographic to break it down. Highlighting a product’s features? Create a short, stylish product demo video. Understanding the “why” will ensure that every visual aligns perfectly with your brand goals.

Strong visual hierarchy: Don’t make viewers work. Guide their eyes effortlessly through your visual, emphasizing the most significant elements. Use strategic pops of color, bold typography, and clever composition to create a clear visual journey. Be sure to make your branding consistent across all channels to ensure a cohesive experience for the audience. 

Visual storytelling: Even the simplest image can tell a story. For instance, a heartwarming social media image for an animal shelter could show a recently adopted pet with its loving family. This picture will trigger stronger emotions and inspire more engagement than text alone. Such visuals make your message more memorable and likely to prompt a response because they connect with your audience on an emotional level.

Related: Learn more about the power of narrative in our article, Unlock the Power of Digital Storytelling With a Content Marketing Strategy.

Authenticity: Move away from generic stock photos. Instead, create visuals that genuinely represent your brand and resonate with your audience. This builds trust and a sense of connection, both key ingredients for long-term success.

Accessibility: Don’t leave anyone behind. Consider users with visual impairments by ensuring all images have descriptive alt text and videos have closed captions and transcripts. This extends your reach and demonstrates that you’re a brand that cares.

Exceptional visual content requires more than a pretty picture. It’s a strategic combination of design, storytelling, and an understanding of how your audience engages with the world.

Types of Visual Content That Captivate and Convert

There’s a never-ending flow of content out there. According to experts at Yale, it’s visual elements that cut through and leave a lasting impression. Creating compelling visuals drives the conversions that supercharge your business and boost revenue. Let’s look at the most effective types of visual content. 

Infographics

Infographics simplify complex data, statistics, or concepts into clear, concise summaries. Look at it this way: People are more likely to share a well-designed infographic than a wall of text. This expands your reach and earns your brand valuable exposure.

Critically, infographics make complicated topics easy to grasp. This is empowering for your audience, and it positions you as a trusted source of information.

Say we’re working with an online wellness brand. We might create an infographic for an article exploring the benefits of exercise. It would feature colorful illustrations, statistics, and simple explanations to show physical activity’s life-changing impact on health and well-being. Your audience might share the graphic on social media or their own website to educate their audience — promoting your brand at the same time.

Video content 

Video content is the easiest way to unpack complex information, demonstrate expertise, and build a bond with your audience. Think dynamic product demos, engaging how-to videos, and behind-the-scenes glimpses that reveal your brand’s personality and offer a peek into the culture and people behind the products or services.

What’s more, videos excel in humanizing your brand. Authentic videos showcase your brand identity and offer social proof. Create videos that brim with passion, shoutout loyal customers, and help viewers solve common pain points.

For instance, if we were working with an HVAC company, we’d recommend they produce a series of short videos that provide troubleshooting tips. Each one would explain a common heating or cooling issue and guide homeowners through simple fixes. These videos save customers a service call, establish the company as go-to experts, and provide an opportunity to connect emotionally.

Interactive content

Interactive content creates two-way conversations with your audience. It encourages active engagement through quizzes, polls, interactive infographics, and calculators. Giving your audience something to click, answer, or play with keeps them on your page longer and increases their investment in your brand.

As a bonus, interactive content helps you collect zero-party data about your audience. Gain actionable insights into their preferences, pain points, and interests, and use those to inform future campaigns.

For instance, if we were working with a beauty brand with a blog post titled, “Find Your Perfect Skincare Routine,” we’d add a quiz. It would ask questions about skin type, major concerns, and product preferences, ultimately providing a customized routine at the end. This keeps customers on your page, builds trust, and drives product discovery.

Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR)

VR and AR push the boundaries of traditional marketing. VR immerses users in entirely digital environments, while AR overlays digital elements onto the real world. These technologies offer unparalleled opportunities for customer engagement and interactive experiences, especially for brands with products customers need to “try on” or visualize. 

An excellent example is the augmented reality IKEA Place app. It lets customers virtually “place” furniture in their own homes before buying. This reduces uncertainty about size and fit, increasing confidence in purchase decisions. The concept is practical and innovative, and sets IKEA apart in a competitive market. 

Memes and GIFs

Memes are funny viral images or videos with catchy text. GIFs are short, looping animations. Both are popular formats for infusing a dose of personality and relatability into your online presence.

[insert screenshot of meme and GIF]

The inherent shareability of memes and GIFs makes them powerful tools for organic brand growth. Their humor or relatability can tap into trending conversations and expand your brand’s reach organically. Plus, they add a relatable touch that’s more likely to connect with modern audiences than text alone.

Let’s say we’re working with a pest control company. To promote a blog post, we might create a meme to share on social media when we hit publish. It could be a cartoon of a startled homeowner facing a spider and a member of your staff holding pesticide, captioned “Say goodbye to your little friend.” This is funny, relatable, and nods to a familiar pop culture reference for maximum impact.

Never underestimate the effectiveness of humor and shareability. When done right, memes and GIFs humanize your brand and drive engagement with your audience.

Social media stories

Social media stories are short-lived, visually engaging posts on platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat. They exploit the FOMO (fear of missing out) factor, usually disappearing after 24 hours. Sharing limited-time offers, sneak peeks, and exclusive content via stories creates FOMO, driving engagement and quick action.

Starbucks is renowned for using Instagram Stories to promote seasonal drink launches. The brand creates visually enticing teasers with countdown graphics, fueling excitement and urgency. This motivates customers to visit their nearest Starbucks to try the new drinks before they’re no longer available, leveraging the FOMO effect to boost sales and customer interaction.

Data visualizations

Well-designed data visualizations make complex ideas easy to grasp. Additionally, visual data allows for quick identification of trends and patterns, catering to audience members seeking instant answers.

If we were helping a digital marketing agency design its annual report, instead of spreadsheets alone, we’d add a mix of eye-catching visuals, such as:

• An interactive timeline showcasing key milestones and major client wins over the past year
• A pie chart breaking down website traffic sources and highlighting growth areas
• A line graph comparing client ROI against industry averages, demonstrating their superior results

This approach establishes the agency as data-driven and transparent, building trust with investors and clients. 

Embracing Technology in Visual Content Creation

The visual content landscape is constantly evolving, with new tools and technologies emerging regularly. While the convenience of AI-generated imagery is tempting, customers increasingly crave authenticity. Like stock imagery, AI-created visuals often lack the human touch and brand-specific details that resonate.

That said, AI isn’t the enemy. These tools can be valuable assets for:

• Creative inspiration: Use AI to generate new ideas, explore design variations, and overcome creative roadblocks.
• Placement and composition: Some AI tools can analyze existing imagery and suggest optimal layouts or color palettes, streamlining your workflow.

While AI is excellent at ideation, prioritize on-brand, human-made designs. They speak directly to your brand personality and build a stronger connection with your audience.

The Importance of Professionalism in High-Impact Visual Content

Using amateur visuals on your website is like showing up to a board meeting in sweatpants. On the other hand, professionally produced visuals command respect and make a strong first impression. 

Here are a few more reasons why investing in pro-level design is a smart move:

• Brand guardians: Top-tier designers do more than enhance aesthetics; they fiercely protect your brand’s identity. Every image, graphic, and video feels undeniably yours, building recognition and trust.
• Attention to detail: Professional designers have mastered those tiny details that separate polished visuals from amateur ones. Perfect image resolution, balanced layouts, and fonts that amplify your message, not distract from it.
• Cutting edge insights: Skilled designers know how to translate your goals into visuals that resonate with the right people using the latest techniques. They know what grabs attention, feels trustworthy, and inspires action.

DIY visuals can have their place, but for high-stakes content such as your website or major campaign, leave it to the pros. It’s an investment that reflects your brand’s value and attracts the right customers.

CTA: Strategize Your Content to Complement Visual Marketing

Successful Visual Content Marketing Examples

Examining real-world success stories gives you valuable insights to use for your content marketing initiatives.

McDonald’s

McDonald’s tapped into anime’s rising popularity with a campaign that deeply resonated with a growing audience segment. The WcDonald’s campaign leaned into Studio Pierrot’s vibrant colors, iconic characters, and bold design elements. 

Visual storytelling and brand integration

The campaign featured a series of short videos starring anime characters from shows such as Naruto and Bleach. The visuals stayed true to the original animations, fostering a sense of authenticity and nostalgia among fans. Subtle product placements, like characters eating McFlurries, were smoothly woven into the storyline, making McDonald’s presence natural rather than intrusive.

Social media frenzy and fan engagement

A ton of WcDonald’s videos went viral on social media. The eye-catching visuals, combined with the novelty of seeing beloved characters in a fast-food setting, sparked a wave of excitement and online discussion. Fans created and shared memes, fan art, and cosplay photos, further amplifying the campaign’s reach and engagement through user-generated content (UGC).

Spotify

Spotify’s annual Wrapped campaign is a cultural phenomenon that highlights the power of personalized content and community engagement. It’s widely anticipated and shared, teaching invaluable lessons to anyone seeking to level up their visual marketing game.

Visual storytelling powered by data

Spotify transforms raw listening data into a compelling story about each user’s year in music. Instead of providing a list of statistics, the brand crafts vibrant personalized infographics highlighting top songs, artists, genres, and total listening time. Bold colors, playful animations, and a shareable format create an experience that’s informative and fun.

Interactive and shareable for maximum impact

Wrapped’s success lies in the fact that it invites interaction. The format guides users through their musical recap using dynamic transitions and instilling a sense of discovery. Most importantly, these infographics are designed for social media sharing. It’s a subtle yet effective way to turn users into brand ambassadors and encourage conversation between followers.

Building anticipation and community

Every December, music lovers around the world buzz with anticipation for Spotify Wrapped. The brand fuels excitement with social media teasers, countdowns, and hints, and they’ve managed to transform it into an annual event. When Wrapped finally goes live, it becomes a global conversation starter, with users eagerly comparing their streaming habits with others. This shared experience solidifiesSpotify’s role as a connector and curator of personalized music experiences.

How Do You Use Visuals in Marketing?

Visuals aren’t just eye candy. They’re powerful tools for achieving your marketing objectives. Here’s your roadmap to success with visuals:

• Define your goals: What do you want your visuals to do? Is it increasing web traffic, enhancing brand awareness, or boosting sales? Clarity is everything when it comes to choosing the right formats.
• Understand your audience: What are your audience’s pain points and preferred digital spaces, and what kind of visuals resonate with them? Tailoring your approach will yield maximum impact.
• Build brand consistency: Every visual should feel like it undeniably belongs to your brand. Maintain a cohesive color palette, font choices, and overall aesthetic. Consistency builds recognition and trust.
• Choose wisely: Think of each visual type as having a specific superpower. Need to simplify a complex topic? Infographic. Want to be meme-able and get shares? GIF. Match the visual type to the goal.
• Know the rules: Each social platform has its own preferences and peculiarities. Research image size requirements, optimal video lengths, and what looks best on each platform.
• Quality matters: Sloppy visuals reflect poorly on your brand. Ensure that each visual is crafted with care, from resolution to framing, to maintain a professional appearance in all your marketing efforts.
• Analyze and optimize: Track your KPIs. Are your infographics driving traffic? Do your video demos increase sales? Use data to pinpoint what works, ditch what doesn’t, and refine your strategy over time.

Download our checklist for clear guidance on which content types and platforms to use for common content goals.  

How to Craft Your Visual Content: Tools, Tips, and Tactics

Below, we’ll break down tools and tactics that will help you bring content to life.

Integrating visual content marketing into your marketing mix

Here are some tips for strategically integrating visuals and making maximum impact:

• Repurpose: An effective way to extend the life and value of your visual content is through repurposing. One impressive infographic can become multiple social media posts, a blog header, and a slide for a presentation. This approach maximizes your investment and ensures consistency across different platforms. Think creatively to get the most mileage from your best content.
• Your website is home base: It’s your brand’s online storefront. Optimize visuals for your website to improve user experience, boost SEO, and drive conversions. Make sure visuals on your website are optimized for fast loading, appropriately tagged for SEO, and aesthetically aligned with your brand identity.
• Don’t forget email: Email marketing works best when it has visual oomph. Break up text with eye-catching images, GIFs, and short videos relevant to your customer base.

Choose the right tools for effective visual content marketing

No matter your skill level or budget, there are visual content creation tools you can use to bring your creative vision to life.

Canva

• Pros: User-friendly with tons of templates and a wide range of content types, even with the free version. AI tools make complex design features accessible to amateurs. 
• Cons: Limited customization options, although paid plans unlock more elements and features
• Best for: Anyone focused on social media graphics, simple infographics, and presentations. It’s also particularly useful for marketers and business owners who need to produce attractive visual content quickly and without extensive design training.

Adobe Creative Cloud

• Pros: Gold standard in the industry with unmatched creative control, customization, and polish
• Cons: Expensive with a steep learning curve, which can be overkill if you don’t require the full suite of programs
• Best for: Professional designers and those needing advanced image-editing capabilities. It’s the go-to choice for high-end content creation that demands meticulous detail and complex compositions.

Piktochart

• Pros: Infographic-specific templates and tools make it much easier than starting from scratch with design software.
• Cons: Designs can feel template-y and it’s limited to infographics and data visualization.
• Best for: People who create infographics regularly but don’t have professional graphic design skills

Lumen5

• Pros: Turns text into videos quickly, and good for repurposing blog posts and creating shareable social clips
• Cons: Limited customization options, free version has a watermark, and some features are paywalled
• Best for: Content creators who want simple video creation for social media — ideal when speed is key

Imagery evokes feelings that can get lost with words. Use these tools to make visual content that builds trust, makes your brand relatable, and builds a community around your brand.

Leverage visual content for brand amplification 

Imagery is an impressive tool for brand amplification. Think of your logo, colors, and overall visual style as your brand’s uniform. When those elements are consistent across your visual content messaging, they become instantly recognizable signatures that identify all communications as distinctly yours. Recognition equates to trust over time, positioning you as a leader in your space. 

In a world overflowing with information, strong visuals help you stand out, build meaningful connections, and leave a lasting mark on your audience.

The Creation Process: DIY vs. Professional Visual Content

Do you go the DIY route or outsource to professional designers? There’s no one-size-fits-all answer. Here’s how to decide what’s right for your brand:

• DIY pros: Budget-friendly, full creative control, and ideal for making simple visuals
• DIY cons: Requires time investment, potential for less-polished results, and possible steep learning curve. This could become a drawback if your team already has a full workload.
• Outsourcing pros: High-quality outcomes and access to specialized skill sets, freeing up your time
• Outsourcing cons: More expensive, with potential for miscommunication if you don’t have clear brand guidelines and expectations. Relying on external resources might also lead to delays or challenges in project timelines if not managed properly.

Find a balance that works for you. Consider your budget, resources, visual content needs, and internal skill sets when making this call. Also keep in mind that you can mix and match, handling some things in-house and outsourcing big ticket projects.

How Do You Measure the Success of Visual Content?

Measuring visual content effectiveness gives you the power to optimize your strategy and achieve your business objectives. By tracking specific metrics, you can gather insights into how your visuals are performing and make informed decisions to enhance their impact.

Metrics to track include:

• Engagement: Likes, comments, shares, and saves
  
• Reach and impressions: How many people see your content?
  
• Website traffic: Click-throughs from visuals to your site
  
• Conversions: Did visual content contribute to sales/leads?
  

Say a fashion brand notices its product demo videos get significantly more shares and website clicks than static product photos. This insight tells them to allocate more resources to creating video content, ultimately driving better results.

Your Visual Content Marketing Strategy

Your visuals are competing for people’s attention in a crowded space. Generic content gets ignored, while standout visuals make people stop scrolling and engage. 

For your visual marketing strategy to be effective, you need to know your audience inside and out. What grabs their attention? What makes them stop and think? Use visuals to tell your brand story in a way that connects authentically and resonates deeply. Do this well, and your visuals will build instant recognition and help you achieve your goals.

This guide has armed you with the tools and knowledge to take your visual content to the next level. Experiment, analyze results, and let your audience show you what works best. With solid strategy and a dash of creative flair, visuals can tell your unique story and propel your brand forward.

The post Visual Content Marketing appeared first on Crowd Content - Blog.

AI is a powerful tool for rapidly generating words and ideas. However, speed and efficiency aren’t everything. A skilled writer’s touch transforms AI outputs into meaningful, authentic stories that resonate with real people. Without human touch, you risk your articles risk becoming mere echoes in the digital void. 

Below, we outline 10 actionable techniques that breathe life into AI-generated text.

What Is AI-Generated Content?

AI-generated content is any text, image, or video created by artificial intelligence systems. 

AI writing assistants are like inexperienced writing apprentices. They can research topics, draft outlines, and write at speed. Just as a junior writer demonstrates raw talent but needs constant guidance, AI-generated content requires an expert touch. Left to its own devices, an AI writing assistant may pepper content with misinformation and telltale signs of AI-generated text.

Human insight, careful editing, and creative storytelling transform AI drafts into content that feels genuine and inspires action. 

Check out our article on the top 10 AI content creation tools.

Why is so much AI content bland and detached?

Large language models,  such as ChatGPT, are nifty tools, but they have limitations. One of the most glaring problems with AI-generated content is a bland and generic voice and tone. 

Here are a few reasons why engaging AI content remains elusive:

• Reliance on patterns: These tools learn from vast amounts of existing text. As such, they tend to generate content that’s distinctly average, lacking a unique spark and individual voice. This also means telltale words, phrases, and structural patterns show up in its output. 
• Lack of nuance: AI-generated text can’t capture the subtle complexities of human emotion, humor, and persuasion. As such, the basic text it generates feels generic and uninspiring.
• Missing context and factual errors: LLMs don’t possess real-world knowledge and can’t put themselves into the shoes of your target audience. Without these elements, output often misses the mark and contains random factual errors. Oh, and LLMs double down on mistakes instead of owning up to them — so you can’t use AI to fact-check itself.
• Difficulty with originality: AI remixes existing information. To pique an audience’s interest, content needs fresh insights, expert perspectives, and a human-crafted narrative.

Recognizing these shortcomings is the first step to knowing how to humanize AI text.

Why Do I Need to Humanize AI Text?

You should humanize AI text because your content won’t rank on search engines otherwise. AI can generate content quickly, but that doesn’t equate to quality. Google prioritizes articles that are helpful, authoritative, and informative for users. Content that’s low-effort or designed to trick search engines will be banished to obscurity as spam. 

Since Google’s helpful content update, it’s become necessary to create content that fills knowledge gaps and provides web users with value.

To ensure your content achieves its goals, consider these key points:

• User-first content: You have to focus on the readers’ needs to write something compelling. That means conducting deep research so you can solve problems, answer questions, and provide value. AI struggles to achieve this depth without expert input. 
• Search engine alignment: Google and other search engines aim to connect users with the best possible answers. Superficial, low-effort, and repetitive content — AI- or human-generated — won’t rank well.

What makes human writing unique and relatable?

Human beings are driven by emotion, and emotion is the magic marketing ingredient that sparks connection. Without emotional experience to draw from, AI struggles to produce authentic content.

Let’s explore why human oversight remains essential for crafting content that connects:

• Empathy: Humans intuitively grasp the nuances of emotion, allowing them to write with a warmth and understanding that resonates on a deeper level. AI systems may analyze sentiment, but they can’t replicate the genuine feeling that builds trust with a reader.
• Context: People bring a lifetime of experiences and knowledge to their writing. This allows them to precisely tailor content and address real challenges while catering to cultural nuances and the target audience’s needs.
• Originality: Ideas are derived from unique perspectives. AI may recombine existing information, but true originality comes from the human ability to think creatively and develop fresh insights.
• Storytelling: Human beings are natural storytellers who craft narratives that captivate and persuade. AI may follow basic structural forms, but it’s the human ability to weave emotion, surprise, and take readers on a journey that moves audiences.

How to Humanize AI Content 

The human touch remains essential to creating exceptional content that resonates with your audience. Success lies in transforming those initial AI outputs into content that feels uniquely yours.

Here’s a roadmap for infusing your AI-generated drafts with the emotional depth and authenticity readers crave.

1. Leverage AI for research and drafting — not publishing

AI excels at the legwork of content creation, but it’s never publish-ready in its raw form. It can sift through information, identify trends, and provide a rough draft or framework. But remember, AI-generated drafts lack the critical analysis and creative spark that elevate content from informative to engaging. 

• Original analysis: Use AI-generated research as a foundation for your deeper research. Look into authoritative sources from the past year and use your industry knowledge to elevate the draft.
• Real-world examples: Connection is built on shared experiences and emotions. Weave in relatable examples, personal anecdotes, or a compelling narrative arc to make content unforgettable.

Assess AI-generated information for accuracy and bias and fill it with unique, expert insights. It’s down to you to shape the final piece so it resonates with your audience. AI is a tool that accelerates the workflow, not a replacement for your mastery.

2. Learn how to prompt AI like a pro

Transform your AI output by injecting details about your audience into prompts. Your prompts have the power to program emotional intelligence into your AI assistant. The better you understand and specify your reader’s pain points and desires, the more likely your AI-generated text will connect with them.

Here’s how to guide your AI assistant:

• Tell it about the reader’s aspirations: What does your audience hope to become? How do they want to feel?
• Example: “Write a blog post that inspires amateur bakers to feel confident tackling their first layer cake, emphasizing the joy of the process.”
• Acknowledge vulnerabilities: Explain readers’ fears or insecurities so the AI can generate content that speaks directly to them, making them feel seen and understood.
• Example: “Write a social media post acknowledging the anxieties of jobseekers, providing practical tips to boost their confidence.”
• Use vivid imagery: Sensory details help the AI understand you’re seeking a response that demonstrates empathy and detail.
• Example: “Describe a decluttered workspace to help the reader envision the sense of calm and focus it brings.”

3. Cut the fluff

AI tools are prone to producing text that feels overly wordy, with redundant words and phrases. Creating impactful content means sharpening your editing skills. Content writing should be concise, focused, and packed with value for your reader.

Here’s how to identify filler:

• Empty phrases: Look for words or phrases that add no real meaning, such as “at the end of the day” or “in order to.” Cut these ruthlessly.
• Rambling sentences: If a sentence takes too long to get to the point, break it into shorter, more powerful ones.
• Repeated words: AI gets attached to certain words. Examples include “specific,” “dive in,” “delve,” “it’s about,” and “meticulous.” Just as you’d make sure your content uses fresh vocabulary throughout, you must edit AI-generated copy for repetition.
• Redundancy: Does your text repeat the same concept in different ways? Consolidate for clarity.

Why conciseness matters

Here’s why you should avoid unnecessary wordiness and repetition:

• Engagement: People are busy. Get to the point quickly to hold their attention.
• Clarity: Filler words and phrases obscure your core message, and eliminating them makes your writing more powerful.
• SEO: Search engines favor clear, focused content. Editing out fluff can improve your rankings.

Every word should earn its place. When editing AI-generated text, be merciless about cutting anything that doesn’t serve your audience or your core message.

4. Embrace storytelling

Facts and figures inform, but stories invoke emotions and inspire relatability. Even the most cutting-edge AI tool can’t compete with the age-old tradition of storytelling. 

Imagine your article as a journey. Instead of listing features, guide your readers through and paint a picture they can put themselves into. 

Here’s how to unlock the power of storytelling:

• Anecdotes: Use brief, relatable stories that illustrate the pain point your content tackles.
• The hero’s journey: Even in short content, you can create a sense of transformation. Frame your reader as the hero, overcoming a challenge with the help of your product, service, or resource.
• Sensory details: Engage the reader’s senses with vivid descriptions. This immerses them in the narrative so they feel part of something bigger.

Stories matter because they create an emotional bond between the reader and your content.

Thanks to the connection between memory and emotion, narratives are more likely to stick in a reader’s mind than plain facts and figures. Put simply, when readers are emotionally invested, they’re more likely to take the desired action.

Turning facts and figures into stories 

Let’s look at some examples of turning facts and figures into stories. 

Example 1: Product feature to story

Factual statement: Our software offers real-time collaboration features.

Story: Ever felt the frustration of endless email chains and conflicting edits? With our tool, your team sees the same document, updates appear instantly, and ideas flow effortlessly. That’s the power of real-time collaboration.

Example 2: Statistical data to story

Factual statement: Studies show customers prefer self-service options for simple questions. That’s why you should invest in our AI chatbot. 

Story: Put yourself in a tired customer’s shoes, late at night, searching for a quick answer. They don’t want to sift through long help articles or leave a voicemail. An intuitive chatbot guides them to the solution in minutes, capturing the lead and building trust and loyalty. What’s more, studies show customers prefer self-service options for simple questions. Who doesn’t love convenience?

Storytelling is an age-old superpower. Use it to inject your AI-generated content with the magic that makes it unforgettable.

5. Prioritize emotional intelligence and use active voice

Emotional intelligence in writing goes beyond acknowledging a reader’s feelings. It means empathizing with the deeper aspirations and feelings driving their behavior.

AI excels at analyzing patterns and generating language. But it can’t truly grasp the power of an active writing style. It’s down to you to ensure it demonstrates emotional intelligence.

Along with emotional depth, an active voice makes your writing more dynamic and engaging. Instead of blandly stating what happened, active voice puts the focus on who or what is driving the action. This creates a sense of immediacy and places the reader closer to the heart of your content. 

Here’s an example of active vs. passive voice:

• Passive voice: The phone was answered promptly.
• Active voice: Sarah promptly answered the phone.

The first one is bland and doesn’t inspire a reaction. It sounds like a complete and finite statement. However, placing “Sarah” in an active position piques the reader’s curiosity. They may start asking questions and perhaps even making assumptions about her motivations. Once engaged, they want to keep reading and find out more.    

6. Capture your brand’s unique voice

Your brand has a unique personality. People should be able to recognize it the same way they’d recognize a trusted friend. LLMs generate text, but you need to tailor the content to align tone and voice with your brand identity.

Think of your brand voice as a filter all your content passes through. Is it playful and friendly, authoritative and informative, or bold and disruptive? 

Once you’ve clearly defined this voice, here’s how to integrate it with your AI tools:

• Training data: Feed your AI a curated selection of existing content that embodies your desired tone. For the best results, this should include a mix of blog posts, social media updates, and marketing copy.
• Fine-tuning: Many AI tools allow you to adjust settings or provide feedback to refine the output’s tone. Experiment until you achieve the desired balance.
• Word choice: Create a list of words and phrases that do and don’t fit your brand voice. Reference this list when editing your AI-generated content.

Tailoring tone for different audiences

While your core brand voice must remain consistent, subtle shifts in tone may make content resonate with certain audience segments. Consider:

• Formality: Technical audiences demand a more formal tone, while a casual demographic prefers something more conversational.
• Humor: When used sparingly and tastefully, humor is a powerhouse. That said, it must align with your brand personality and the audience’s expectations, or it will feel jarring and out of place.

7. Train AI to write like you

Training AI tools on your style encourages consistency across content outputs.

Think about your favorite author or influencer. You recognize their voice through their choice of words, mannerisms, and the themes they explore. Similarly, a distinct style in your content establishes a recognizable brand identity and keeps readers coming back for more.

AI content personalization works best if you use a single AI tool and have an established brand voice. Feed your AI with a curated selection of your writing, such as previous blog posts, articles, scripts, or social media captions. The more data you provide and the more specific your prompts, the better an AI writing assistant becomes at replicating your writing style.

8. Showcase your experience and expertise

AI can’t replace a subject-matter expert’s depth of knowledge and real-world experience. 

Expert collaboration levels up your content creation process. Working with an SME brings fresh perspectives, access to industry data, and the topical authority Google craves. This translates into accurate content that addresses your audience’s pain points and questions.

Let’s look at several ways to integrate expert knowledge:

• Interviews: In-depth interviews with SMEs allow you to tap into their experience and share it in an engaging, conversational format.
• Direct quotes: Even short, impactful quotes from experts add credibility and weight to your content.
• Guest authorship: Inviting SMEs to author or edit articles positions your brand as a hub for thought leadership.

Want to build trust and position yourself as a reliable authority in your field? Demonstrating expertise in your content is essential. When you feature expert voices, you let readers know you go the extra mile to provide them with well-sourced information. 

9. Include user-generated content 

User-generated content is the strongest form of community-building because it encourages your audience to interact directly with each other. 

Reviews, testimonials, social media comments, and photos of customers sporting your product or service showcase the value you deliver to real people. Social proof is powerful. It fosters trust in an environment where readers can be skeptical of polished marketing messages.

Want to learn more about user-generated content? Take a look at our article about UGC, with examples. 

10. Fact-check and AI-detect

AI-generated text is often full of inaccuracies and biases. Rigorous fact-checking is vital for maintaining the integrity of your content and keeping your audience’s trust.

Here are some strategies for fact-checking AI content:

• Identify the source: Always trace AI-generated information back to its original source. Evaluate the source’s credibility and double-check for potential biases.
  
• Cross-reference: Verify facts across multiple reliable websites, publications, or databases.
  
• Be skeptical: Approach AI output with skepticism, especially when it comes to complex or controversial topics.
  
• Use primary sources: Go directly to primary sources, such as research papers, government data, educational resources, and original expert interviews.

Utilizing AI detection tools to guarantee content accuracy

AI detection tools are still an evolving technology, but they can help identify potentially problematic content. They analyze text patterns to flag content likely to be AI-generated. While far from foolproof, they add an extra layer of protection. This signals your commitment to transparency with your audience.

Humanizing Your AI Content Journey 

AI writing techniques will continue to improve. For now, you have to know how to humanize AI content for it to stand out and rank in searches. Embracing storytelling, infusing content with brand voice, prioritizing emotional intelligence, and incorporating expert insights transform AI text.

The most effective content creators see AI as a powerful tool, not a replacement for their expertise and creativity. Following these strategies helps you unleash AI’s full potential. Use it to create content that ranks high and establishes your brand as a trusted voice in a crowded digital world.

Bridge the gap between technology and human connection. Discover how our copyediting services can transform your AI content into engaging narratives that delight target audiences and capture your brand’s unique voice.

The post How to Humanize AI Content appeared first on Crowd Content - Blog.

Integrating well-crafted content briefs into your ongoing process helps important elements, such as brand voice, quality, and format, remain consistent from one piece to another. But there’s an art to writing truly efficient briefs and setting your content production team up for lasting success. Content brief examples, templates, and similar tools can help.

We cover everything you need to know to create amazing content briefs and use them to elevate your brand. This includes a look at today’s best practices and some effective content brief templates to inspire and guide you.

What Is a Content Brief?

A content brief is a set of guidelines or instructions for producing a specific piece of marketing content. The objective of the brief is to ensure content writers fully understand how to approach the piece so the final product meets requirements and expectations.

A brief can be long or short, simple or detailed. In cases where a content manager wants a writer to put their own spin on the piece, a brief may read more like a set of guidelines than anything else. However, when content needs to meet specific SEO objectives or branding requirements, the brief may outline every detail of the expected results.

How Do Detailed Content Briefs Improve Content Quality?

Detailed content briefs enhance content quality by providing a structured outline and examples, which are essential for scaling and strategic planning. The benefits of a well-crafted content brief include:

Higher content quality

Content briefs are an effective way to ensure a team of copywriters or other content producers fully understand what’s expected of them when it comes to their assignments. These briefs clarify important requirements and factors, including keyword usage, target audience, point of view, delivery time frame, and structure so nothing’s left up to chance.

Faster production times

Well-crafted content briefs minimize the amount of clarification your writers need before they can get to work. They also reduce the likelihood of multiple revisions before the content is ready to be published, leading to a smoother production process for everyone.

Better brand consistency

Every writer naturally showcases their unique voice in their work, but brand consistency is important. Your content should read as one connected source, not as singular pieces with individual styles. You want users to have a cohesive experience when consuming multiple pieces of content or touching base with your brand across different marketing channels. Briefs help facilitate that.

Search engine optimization

A comprehensive content brief helps ensure maximum search engine visibility. Briefs take the guesswork out of proper keyword usage, search intent, formatting, readability, and user experience, leaving writers free to focus on fantastic writing. 

An edge over your competition

The world of content marketing is incredibly competitive, and amazing content is one key to standing head and shoulders above your competition. Thorough content briefs shed light on what competing content may be missing and offer tips for how the writer can differentiate their piece.

What Makes a Good Content Brief?

Fantastic content briefs don’t just happen. They’re the direct result of an organized approach to brief drafting that puts SEO and user intent front and center. The following are some of the qualities the best briefs have in common.

Clarity

Even the best content creators aren’t mind readers, so it’s important to be clear about what you want and expect from a particular piece. A concise content brief never leaves a writer guessing. It covers all the bases, so everyone’s on the same page.

Conciseness

There’s a fine line between being thorough and long-winded when writing content briefs, and good brief-makers never lose sight of that middle ground. Include everything the writer needs to do a good job without overcomplicating things.

ClearVoice perfectly demonstrates how to craft an effective ebook brief. It tells the writer everything they need to know without bloating the brief with unnecessary elements.

Honesty

Effective briefs don’t dance around issues. They get to the heart of the matter by bringing the writer up to speed about any potential challenges. Whether you’re looking to beat a particular competitor, win back lost customers, or something else entirely, a good brief is direct about the company’s goals.

Content Marketing Institute’s brief example excellently sets expectations and is candid about desired outcomes.

Key Components of an Effective Content Brief

The fine details of what makes a content brief effective vary depending on your company, niche, and content production strategy. But are there essential elements all briefs should have, and what are the most important parts of a content brief?

Well-crafted content briefs should include the following, regardless of industry or topic.

SEO keywords

SEO will always be a concern when crafting effective web content, so always include a complete list of keywords. Differentiate primary keywords from secondary keywords, and be sure to include any density requirements you want the writer to aim for.

Expectations for visual elements can also be defined in this section, including: 

• Image sourcing
• Inclusion of videos or other supporting media

Narrato’s content template example covers a variety of different SEO elements to ensure the resulting content achieves maximum visibility. Examples include primary and secondary keywords, internal and external links, meta assets, and more.

Marketing objective

Add information about the purpose of the content. Are you looking to drive traffic, raise awareness, close sales, or something else entirely? How should the audience feel when they walk away from the content, and what ideal action should they take next?

With a well-crafted brief, the writer knows exactly where you want to go with a piece and is better equipped to help you get there.

Target audience

Always include information on who the content is for. If it’s geared toward potential buyers, add details about where they are in your sales funnel or their unique buyer’s journey. If you mention the target persona in your brief, fine-tune your process by including specific buyer personas.

PayPal’s creative brief does an excellent job of defining many key factors a good brief should cover, including the target audience, with descriptive, clear explanations.

Style notes

Specify the approach you want the content creator to take toward tone, style, and point of view. Should the content be conversational or formal, light-hearted or no-nonsense? General notes on brand voice and style are useful, especially for new writers on the project.

Content structure

Include plenty of information on how the writer should structure their content via a content outline. Many content managers take a detailed approach to this, listing specific H2 and H3 headings and supporting elements for each section. Suggested anchor text and desired placement for internal or external links are also common additions.

Thruuu’s example brief shows a simple but effective method for outlining. It’s complete enough to give the writer plenty of guidance but leaves room for creative freedom.

Word count

Content length determines many things about a piece, including how in-depth the content will be, so always include a target word count. Some content managers look for specific lengths and tight word count ranges, but others prefer to give writers lots of leeway.

Call to action

Ending content with a clear call to action tells your audience what the next step is after finishing your content. Ensure the content creator understands your intentions by adding the goals of your content marketing to the content brief.

6 Content Brief Examples to Inspire Your Strategy

Naturally, you can approach a content brief in various ways. Some content brief types yield consistently solid results, but it’s important to compare successful examples to understand what works.

A good brief can be used again and again or adapted to fit any industry or content niche. Here are a few solid content examples to consider and draw inspiration from.

1. Content Folks

Content Folks’ brief is for a detailed content piece about content calendars that covers everything from their use to how to create your own. It covers everything a writer needs to write well on the topic, including brand goals and key takeaways.

The outline is also thorough, detailing recommended H2s and H3 and what points the writer should cover under each.

2. Brafton

The content brief template from Brafton covers a range of elements a writer should consider when crafting an informative piece for a target audience. Key examples include related keywords, internal links, and questions the audience should be able to answer by the time they’re finished reading.

This brief also gets specific about details important in certain marketing contexts — details like keyword density and specific key performance indicators to consider.

3. Zenbrief

Zenbrief’s brief for a food-focused blog is a terrific example of a brief that includes just about everything a writer needs to do a five-star job. And it manages to do so without appearing overstuffed.

It also helps that this brief is laid out in a way that’s easy for writers to peruse for the first time and refer back to as they work. Many writers return to content briefs repeatedly throughout the writing process to ensure nothing has been missed.

4. The Meta Blog

This simple but effective template from The Meta Blog is another example of how impactful a detailed brief can be when it’s well-organized. Organization is the key to making large amounts of detail and information easy to digest.

The table format makes the elements flow nicely from one to the other, closing with the outline and resource links. This brief is also commendable for including elements such as inspiration sources, target audience, and content goal. By showing writers what you aspire your content to look like, writers are given a foundation before they begin.

5. Wrike

Wrike’s template is everything a content brief should be—comprehensive, concise, honest, and easy to absorb. It’s also noteworthy for including fields that aren’t necessarily standard for all briefs but effective for industries such as healthcare or law, where specificity is essential.

The inclusion of “inflexible H2s and H3s” is also a solid addition, as this lets the writer know right away which headings need to be part of the content for it to hit the mark. Adding research link suggestions to a brief also helps ensure writers start on the right track.

6. Content Harmony

Content Harmony’s example brief presents the necessary information in a legible, logical order. It starts with the most important information a writer needs to begin forming the bones of the article in their head. It progresses through additional helpful elements, including key questions to answer and additional resources that may help.

This structure makes it easy to scale up or down from one brief to another. It even includes information about visuals that will be implemented later so the writer can craft their content around them.

How to Tailor Content Brief Examples for Different Objectives

Although it’s certainly possible to meet your content goals by using an out-of-the-box content brief example like the ones above, it’s possible to get better results if you customize them first and make them your own. Customized briefs:

• Help writers create content that better meets your unique brand expectations and business goals
• Improve communication between content managers and writers
• Save time and lower the likelihood of multiple revisions
• Facilitate mutually beneficial collaboration between team members
• Leave nothing significant up to chance

How Can I Create a Content Brief That Aligns With My Content Strategy?

Your content brief is your golden opportunity to tell your writers what you want them to know about your target audience, brand voice, or specific objectives related to that piece. Customizing your templates and examples is the best way to take advantage of that. Here are some tips to get you started:

Start with goals and keywords

All the best content starts with an understanding of the larger goals and intent behind the writing, so start by defining who the content is for and what it’s meant to accomplish. After that, focus on your choice of primary keywords.

Create a structured outline

Think about what format would best serve the specific piece of content and its purpose. For example, a how-to guide may lend itself well to bulleted lists or numbered headings, while a comprehensive guide might be a better fit for multiple H2 headings with supporting H3s and H4s.

When in doubt about what to include and how to approach the outline structure, look at content that’s already ranking well for your keyword. What formats are working for your competitors? How might you improve upon what they’re already doing while differentiating your brand?

The “People Also Ask” section of a Google SERP can also offer valuable insight into what to add to your brief.

Specify audience persona

When visualizing a piece of content, you may have a crystal-clear picture of your ideal reader in mind, but your writer won’t unless you tell them who they should be writing for. Including relevant audience personas in your brief helps your writer understand who will be on the receiving end of their content.

Provide a target word count

Although certain target lengths work better for some types of content than others, each piece should ultimately be as long as needed to cover the topic without dragging on. When building content briefs, you should never leave word count entirely out of the equation.

Be sure to include whether the writer has permission to exceed the recommended word count. Sometimes, a complex topic with a lengthy outline may lend itself to unpredictably long word counts, but that length may not be appropriate in every situation.

Include links to references and competing content

When writing SEO content, it’s helpful to have examples to refer to before getting down to business. For that reason, consider adding the following links to your briefs:

• High-ranking content competing for the same keywords
• Examples of similar content that’s well-written and hits the mark
• Specific links to references, data, or studies your writer should use

For best results, include additional information about what competing articles (or other examples) are doing well vs. where they need to improve. This technique helps the writer craft something that fills those content gaps left by your competitors.

Specify other requirements

Although many professional copywriters and content producers understand a thing or two about SEO, you shouldn’t leave things up to chance when it comes to elements like on-page SEO requirements, especially if you have specifics you need your writers to adhere to.

Do you need the writer to include one keyword at least four times but another with low search volume only once or twice? Put it in the brief — and don’t forget to specify the placement for the keywords, such as in a certain number of headers or specific sections within the content.

Tools and Resources for Creating Content Briefs

Here’s a closer look at some tools you can integrate into your repertoire for a more productive content creation routine.

ChatGPT

ChatGPT has drawbacks and weaknesses. However, one of its strengths is the ability to help create content outlines and briefs. Start with a target keyword, a working title, or both to prompt a starter brief. Then, tweak the results to fit your requirements.

Narrato

Narrato is an AI-powered platform that helps facilitate various aspects of your content creation workflow, including brief creation. It allows you to quickly generate SEO-focused content briefs, create content drafts, collaborate with team members, easily assign or manage tasks, and more.

Google Trends

Do you need help selecting your next round of keywords or zeroing in on a trending topic to post about? Google Trends is one of the more accessible tools out there for keeping your finger on the pulse of what Google users are searching for at any given time.

InLinks 

InLinks is another terrific tool for taking some of the headache out of your SEO strategy. Deploy a variety of different key SEO elements at scalable levels and build topic clusters with ease. You can even brainstorm, create, and implement a content schedule that includes all your marketing channels.

Crowd Content 

At Crowd Content, we offer a wide variety of resources to take the confusion out of drafting content briefs and facilitating an airtight content marketing strategy. We offer valuable e-books, checklists, content calendar templates, content services, and more to help you fill in the gaps.

Take your content creation strategy to the next level with our proven strategies and free content brief template, plus check out our comprehensive guide on the topic. With our assistance, you can watch your content strategy transform before your eyes.

Sample Content Briefs

Whether you’re new to drafting killer content briefs or simply want something to get you started in the right direction, a good content brief template is a reliable starting point. When you’re ready, elevate your results by developing your own custom templates based on the effective examples we’ve covered.

In the meantime, here are a few free and paid brief templates to try:

Free Content Brief Templates

The following brief templates are free to download and try.

Portent

This is a solid brief template that works well for various content types. It’s simple, user-friendly, and well-organized. However, the fact that it only gets into key SEO details further down may not be the best fit for optimization-focused content.

Avo

This Avo template is highly comprehensive and has multiple pages, so it’s a great option if you need something more technical. Some elements, such as link targets and CTAs, are still missing, so you may want to add them yourself.

Crowd Content

Our free content brief template covers everything needed to get the results you want from your content. You can use it to easily set crucial SEO parameters, create clear directives for your content, ensure maximum readability, and more. We make sure your briefs never miss a beat. Just tell us a bit about yourself first.

Paid Content Brief Templates

Ready to kick things up a notch and try a paid template? Try one of the following resources on for size.

Content Harmony

Content Harmony offers a solid template system that simplifies the process of creating briefs for a wide range of needs. Best of all, the briefs are fully customizable — a must if you’re serious about results.

Newcomers can get their first 10 briefs for $10 but need to sign up for the platform’s content management service after that.

Notion

Notion features an entire database of free and paid content brief templates to try. Some are available thanks to Notion itself, while others are the beautiful work of independent creators.

Many include additional assets for assigning tasks, tracking progress, and more. Pricing varies from template to template, averaging between $10 and $50. However, some options require a Notion account to access.

Now that you’ve mastered the art of the content brief, it’s time to take the next step toward content excellence.Crowd Content can help you take your next content creation strategy further with our top-tier content strategy service. Take full advantage of our dynamic content brief examples, leverage proven industry expertise, and learn how to better integrate briefs into your content strategy today!

The post 6 Content Brief Examples to Inspire Your Strategy appeared first on Crowd Content - Blog.

Distribution is a powerful step of a well-constructed content strategy. After developing a solid plan and a clear understanding of your audience, distribution is the final touch that amplifies your reach and fuels success. 

As you continue reading, you will find valuable information in this guide that will help transform your content into a powerful business asset.

What Is Content Distribution and Why Is It Important? 

Content distribution is the process of sharing content across relevant online channels to maximize its reach. It’s the final step in your content’s journey, connecting your brand with your audience at the perfect time. 

Benefits of an effective content distribution strategy

Content creation is a labor of love. We get it. And a well-executed distribution strategy makes certain your efforts deliver results.

Meaningful engagement: Quality content sparks conversations. Getting people to talk about your content fosters brand loyalty and establishes thought leadership.

• Content distribution example: Say a marketing agency publishes an article on the evolving landscape of influencer marketing. Sharing it on LinkedIn starts discussions and debates in the comments section. This engagement establishes the agency as a thought leader and provides readers and potential customers with useful information about the industry.
  

Increase website traffic: Effective distribution strategies drive qualified traffic back to your website, ultimately bringing in more leads and sales.

• Content distribution example: An e-commerce company creates a comprehensive guide on “Essential Winter Hiking Gear.” Distributing it on outdoor enthusiast forums, with a clear call-to-action prompting users to visit the website for the full product range, can significantly increase website traffic. 
  

Enhance brand visibility: A well-curated and consistent distribution strategy across various channels keeps your brand top-of-mind with your target audience.

• Content distribution example: A bakery creates recipe videos showcasing its signature desserts. Distributing these videos on the brand’s YouTube channel as well as relevant food blogs and subreddits builds brand awareness and recognition. The engaging format and targeted distribution channels ensure the content resonates with specific customers who are actively searching for baking inspiration.
  

Better SEO: Distributing your content across authoritative websites can improve your website’s search engine ranking and drive organic traffic.

• Content distribution example: A legal firm publishes an informative blog post on “Understanding Common Clauses in Employment Contracts.” Uploading this content to legal resource websites and sites such as Quora and Reddit can generate backlinks. These backlinks act as signals to search engines that the content is valuable and trustworthy, potentially boosting ranking for relevant search terms.
  

Establish thought leadership: Consistently sharing valuable and insightful content across relevant platforms establishes your brand as an authority in its industry.

• Content distribution example: A financial advisor creates a series of educational videos on personal finance tips for young adults. Posting them on YouTube and Reddit positions the advisor as a credible source of information. As a bonus, it attracts potential clients who are actively seeking financial guidance.

Content distribution transforms content into a powerful tool for growth. It ensures your content reaches the right audience, sparks meaningful engagement, and drives real business results.

What Are the Three Types of Content Distribution Strategies?

Your content’s reach hinges on three distribution channels: owned, earned, and paid.

Owned channels: These are your digital properties, such as your website, social media pages, and email newsletters. They’re your content’s home base, where you have full control over the messaging.

Earned channels: You gain visibility organically on these channels. Picture your content being shared across social media, mentioned in industry publications, or linked to from other websites. This buzz of engagement builds credibility, boosts reach, and helps you establish a community.

Paid channels: Propel content using strategic investments such as paid ads on search engines, social media platforms, and sponsored articles. These channels guarantee visibility to a highly specific target audience.

Understanding the three distribution channels is essential for designing a content strategy that maximizes your content’s impact.

Maximize your content’s impact by refining your approach with Crowd Content’s Strategy Services. We highlight the crucial role of planning and creation before distribution, ensuring your content strategy is as effective as possible. Let us help you widen your reach, meet business goals, and engage your audience more deeply.

Click to review and enhance your content strategy now.

Let’s expclore the major distribution channels in depth.

Owned channels

Owned channels are your digital properties. You have complete control over the content, messaging, and distribution. They include your website, blog, social media accounts, email lists, and any other platforms you manage directly.

Here are some examples of how businesses use owned channels:

• Digital marketing agency: Blogs packed with industry insights and case studies solidify a digital marketing brand’s expertise. 
• Chain of retirement homes: Websites and blogs feature heartwarming resident stories, advice for families, and details on amenities.
• Freelance SEO specialist: An optimized website with compelling blog content is vital to demonstrating a freelance SEO expert’s prowess. 

How owned channels differ from earned and paid:

• Control: You decide what gets published, when, and how it’s presented. This allows for consistent brand messaging and targeted content.
• Audience: Owned channels tap into your existing audience of followers, website visitors, and subscribers, strengthening relationships.
• Sustainability: While requiring ongoing effort, owned channels often provide the best long-term return on investment compared to reliance on paid tactics.

Who benefits the most from owned channels? 

• Businesses of all sizes: Owned channels form the backbone of any digital marketing strategy.
• Brands building trust: Consistent, valuable content nurtures a loyal audience that views you as reliable and credible.
• Audience engagement: Direct two-way communication through comments, social media interactions, and email fosters a sense of community.

Pros of using owned channels:

• Shape your brand voice and tailor your message without leaning heavily on external platforms or algorithms.
• Build direct relationships with your audience, fostering trust and brand advocacy.
• The initial investment in content creation pays dividends over time compared to continuously buying paid advertising.
• Owned channels have rich analytics on audience preferences and content performance, enabling you to refine your future strategy.

Cons of using owned channels:

• Success requires an ongoing passion for content creation, community management, and audience growth strategies.
• Building reach on owned channels usually takes significantly longer compared to the immediate reach of paid advertising.
• Understanding SEO principles, effective content creation, and social media engagement is essential for maximizing results.

Owned channels are the foundation of a well-rounded content distribution strategy. Investing time and resources in these platforms establishes a firm brand presence and generates insights for long-term growth.

Earned channels

Earned channels come from others organically promoting your content through shares, mentions, and backlinks. This type of distribution hinges on building relationships, establishing credibility, and creating genuinely valuable content that resonates.

Here are some examples of how businesses use earned channels:

• Addiction recovery center: A blog post about overcoming addiction could gain traction on social media and get shared by influencers in the recovery community.
• SEO agency: Active participation on relevant subreddits, providing insightful advice, builds trust and attracts clients. 
• HVAC company: Helpful videos on furnace maintenance from YouTube get shared in home improvement Facebook groups, leading to a spike in calls.

How earned channels differ from owned and paid:

• Trust and credibility: Earned distribution often carries a greater sense of trust, as it comes from an impartial source, serving as social proof. Over the past couple of decades, social proof — as demonstrated in online reviews and testimonials — has emerged as a leading factor in purchase decision-making. Think of it like digital word-of-mouth. 
• Amplified organic reach: Content can gain exposure to new audiences beyond your existing network.
• Cost effective: While it requires time and effort, earned distribution is cost effective, with the potential for long-term impact.

Who benefits the most from earned channels:

• Brands seeking credibility: Endorsements from external sources strengthen your reputation.
• Companies targeting new audiences: Earned channels open up opportunities to reach beyond your existing followers.
• Organizations with a limited budget: Earned channels work well for creative brands with budget constraints for paid advertising.

Pros of earned channels:

• Opens your content up to a wider audience, maximizing reach.
• Third-party validation strengthens trust and positions your brand as an authority.
• Quality backlinks from authoritative websites attract new audiences and boost search engine rankings.
• Exceptionally shareable content has the potential to “go viral” and spread rapidly, reaching a massive audience.

Cons of earned channels:

• You can’t dictate if or when others share your content, so earned channels require a focus on quality and relationship building.
  
• Cultivating relationships and creating share-worthy content takes time and persistent effort.
• While tools offer insights, tracking the direct impact of earned distribution can be more complex compared to owned or paid channels.

Earned distribution is a testament to the value of your content. While less predictable than other channels, it offers the potential for significant gains in reach, reputation, and authority.

Paid channels

Paid channels are paid investments that guarantee visibility. There are a vast array of options to choose from, allowing you to target your ideal audience with laser focus. From pay-per-click (PPC) advertising to sponsored content partnerships, paid channels deliver shockingly precise targeting.

Here are some examples of how businesses use paid channels:

• Pest control company: Targeted Google Ads ensure services appear at the top of local search results for keywords such as “pest extermination near me.” Social media ads showcase positive customer testimonials and promotions to a geographically focused audience.
• E-commerce brand: Retargeting ads on social media remind users of products they viewed, encouraging them to return and complete a purchase. At the same time, sponsored search results drive traffic to specific product pages. 
• Content writer: Paid guest posts on niche industry blogs offer valuable insights and backlinks to their portfolio. Meanwhile, targeted Google Ads appear for searches such as “freelance copywriter for [industry] in [location].”

How paid ads differ from owned and earned:

• Guaranteed visibility: Paid channels offer immediate exposure, unlike owned and earned, which largely rely on organic growth.
• Hyper-targeted reach: Advanced targeting options let you pinpoint your ideal audience by demographics, interests, location, and behaviors.
• Faster results: Paid distribution can drive traffic and conversions more quickly compared to strategies focused solely on organic growth.

Who benefits the most from paid channels?

• Businesses seeking rapid growth: Paid channels accelerate reach and boost conversions, especially when entering new markets.
• Anyone targeting a niche audience: Precise targeting options are ideal for reaching specific demographics or segments.
• Those looking to measure results: Paid ads usually come with analytics that allow you to track ROI and optimize future campaigns for maximum performance.

Pros of using paid channels:

• Reach your target audience instantly and bypass the slow build of organic methods.
• Detailed analytics allow for continuous refinement and improvement of your campaigns.
• Easily increase or decrease your investment based on your goals and budget.
• Track conversions and leads to determine the exact return on your advertising spend.

Cons of paid channels:

• Depending on your industry and keywords, paid advertising can become expensive.
• Successful paid campaigns require planning, targeting, and optimization.
• Users can become desensitized to ads, potentially resulting in lower click-through rates over time.

Paid channels are a major boost, helping you reach your ideal audience and achieve desired outcomes. Using strategic execution and exploring advanced options such as native advertising and programmatic buying can propel your content toward widespread success.

How Do I Create a Content Distribution Strategy? 

This section will guide you through the essential steps of creating a content distribution strategy that propels your message to the right people, at the right time.

1. Understand your audience and their expectations

A deep understanding of your target audience is the cornerstone of any successful content distribution strategy. Moving beyond basic demographics, craft detailed audience personas outlining pain points, goals, preferred content formats, and the online platforms your visitors frequent. 

Next, map out how your audience interacts with content. Where do they go for information? What type of content influences their decision-making? Social media is a gold mine for these insights. Extensive research is nonnegotiable for this step. 

2. Identify the ideal content types for your brand and audience

With your target audience firmly in mind, identify the ideal content types that align with your specific marketing goals. Are you aiming for brand awareness, lead generation, or boosting website traffic? Different content types excel in different areas.

For instance, informative blog posts nurture leads and establish brand expertise, while visually engaging videos capture attention and drive social media shares. A successful content mix caters to various learning styles and keeps your audience engaged.

Important note: Don’t get stuck in a single format. Explore the diverse landscape of content options, including blog posts, infographics, videos, social media updates, podcasts, ebooks, and webinars. Allowing your audience to engage with your brand in various formats helps them connect deeply with it, while catering to a variety of tastes.  

3. Plan

A content calendar acts as your roadmap, outlining the content you’ll produce, the distribution channels you’ll use, and your publication dates. This structured approach ensures consistency and aligns content marketing efforts with your broader marketing goals. 

Be sure to map out a purposeful distribution strategy, whether you use a content calendar or not. Carefully considering which channels best suit each piece of content is vital. Not every format is ideal for every platform. Customize and tailor your distribution approach accordingly.  

Finally, keep in mind that timing is everything in the world of digital marketing. Knowing when your audience is most active online and thoughtfully scheduling your content distribution helps maximize engagement and reach.

4. Ensure uniform branding and brand voice across channels

Developing clear brand guidelines is foundational for online success. Your brand’s ingredients include voice, tone, and visual style. They’re the secret sauce for maintaining consistency across all platforms.  

Customize your content for each platform while remaining true to your brand identity. Ultimately, a cohesive brand image across channels builds immediate recognition and solidifies your brand’s reputation in the minds of your audience.

5. Test

A willingness to experiment is vital. Test different content formats, distribution channels, and messaging to analyze what yields the best results for your specific audience and goals.

Pay close attention to analytics. They’re your north star. Monitor insights such as time on page, bounce rates, and click-through rate. Use these insights to refine your strategy, making data-driven decisions to optimize your content distribution efforts. Finally — and very importantly — don’t be afraid to pivot. If something isn’t achieving the desired results, be agile.

6. Execute

Sticking to your content calendar is vital for maintaining steady momentum and a reliable presence in your audience’s eyes. Why? Because consistent publishing signals dedication to potential customers and helps you ride that elusive algorithmic wave. 

Just keep in mind that you must always prioritize quality over quantity. Two high-quality content pieces per week will always outweigh 20 pieces of low-value content. Each asset you publish should provide true value to your audience. 

7. Measure

Focus on the metrics that directly align with your established goals. And whatever you do, be sure to utilize the wealth of analytics tools at your fingertip. These insights tell you exactly what your audience likes and dislikes.

Platforms such as Google Analytics, social media ad tools, and email marketing reports provide detailed data. Creating regular reports helps you analyze performance patterns and highlight areas for improvement.

8. Optimize and iterate

Optimize your strategy by making data-driven decisions and avoiding guesswork and assumptions at all costs. Continuously tweak your content formats, distribution channels, and messaging based on the insights derived from your analytics. 

Poise yourself to experiment with trends and adapt your approach as technologies and audience behaviors shift.

Best Practices to Enhance Your Distribution Strategy

What are the key elements of content distribution? Let’s look at the most critical best practices.

Tool 1: Multiple Formats

Go beyond a blog post. Transform your content into various formats to cater to diverse learning styles and preferences. 

Tool 2: Brand Assets

Create high-quality on-brand visuals such as infographics, images, and videos to elevate content, connect deeply with your audience, and strengthen brand recognition.

Tool 3: Smart Repurposing

Extend your content’s lifespan by adapting it for different platforms. Repurpose infographics into social media posts and video clips into Reels or TikTok content.

Tool 4: Thoughtful Interlinking

Connect your content with internal links to improve user experience and boost SEO, while encouraging exploration of your website.

Tool 5: Guest Posting and Interviews

Tap into new audiences by contributing content to relevant websites and interviewing industry leaders.

Tool 6: Search Engine Optimization

Optimize content with relevant keywords, language that’s relatable to your audience, and meta descriptions to improve search ranking and organic traffic.

Tool 7: Social Media Mastery

Cater content to each social media platform, leveraging features like Stories, Reels, and live streams to maximize engagement.

Tool 8: Email Marketing

Nurture leads and drive conversions with targeted email campaigns featuring your best content.

Top Content Distribution Platforms

Now that you understand the “why” and “how,” all that’s left is “where?” Here’s a breakdown of the four best content distribution channels. 

1. Social media distribution

Social media platforms are where your audience spends time online. Strategize for each platform to meet your audience where they are. Let’s take a closer look:

Overview: Social media is unparalleled for building community, amplifying brand voice, and targeting content to specific audiences through organic posts and paid ads.

Best for: Each platform has its strengths.

• Facebook: Wide reach, versatile for B2C and B2B
• Instagram: Visually focused for lifestyle brands, strong with younger demographics
• X: Live updates, trending news, and niche conversations
• LinkedIn: Excellent for B2B, networking, and thought leadership
• YouTube: Great for video tutorials, product demos, and in-depth content

Time to see results: It can yield a quick engagement boost, but long-term success requires consistency and audience understanding.

Why it works: Social media fuels discovery and taps into the power of social sharing for extended reach.

2. Email marketing

Your email list is a direct line to a highly engaged audience. Nurture your audience with compelling content, and they’ll become your biggest advocates and most loyal customers.

Overview: Email marketing is ideal for nurturing leads and driving conversions. Directly reach your most engaged audience: those who opt in to receiving your content. 

Best for: Businesses with an established email list, regardless of industry.

Time to see results: Immediate delivery, open rates, and click-throughs are trackable right off the bat. Nurturing campaigns show results over time. Just be sure to factor in the time and effort it takes to build an engaged email list.  

Why it works: It allows for audience segmentation and provides valuable analytics on content preferences.

3. Content syndication networks

Supercharge your content’s visibility by republishing it on high-traffic websites. Content syndication expands your reach and builds brand awareness.

Overview: Publish content on third-party websites and platforms to expand reach and build brand awareness among new audiences.

Best for: Businesses aiming for high visibility across various reputable sites.

Time to see results: Quickly boosts traffic and reach when done right.

Why it works: Leverages the established audience of external platforms and may boost domain authority for SEO benefits.

4. Online forums and communities 

Become part of the conversation on Quora and Reddit to subtly build your brand’s reputation. Offer genuine advice and insights to establish yourself as a go-to source of information.

Overview: Actively participate in discussions related to your industry, offering helpful answers and subtly referencing your own content where relevant.

Best for: Businesses aiming to build a positive brand reputation by demonstrating expertise and engaging directly with potential customers.

Time to see results: It’s a slow burn, but consistent participation yields trust and brand loyalty, directing interested users to your resources.

Why it works: Leverages the power of conversation and social proof, organically highlighting your brand as a problem solver.

Additional Content Distribution Services 

Digital content distribution services are more far-reaching and targeted than DIY efforts because they lean on broad databases packed with insights. They provide expert support in crafting and implementing a comprehensive distribution strategy. 

Crowd Content can deliver custom content distribution solutions that align with your unique goals. Our team of marketing experts can leverage data-driven insights to optimize your content’s visibility and engagement across various channels.

The post The Ultimate Guide to Content Distribution 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.

But what exactly are content marketing KPIs, and what do you use to measure content success when you’re serious about staying competitive? Here, we’ll discuss some of the most critical content marketing KPIs to keep in mind as you map out your next strategy.

What Is a KPI in Content Marketing?

KPI, or “key performance indicator,” refers to quantifiable values that content marketers use to assess the health and progress of a long-term strategy or a particular campaign. Engagement, audience reach, and conversion rate are a few examples that can help a marketer better measure progress toward a specific objective.

Data is the key to tracking the success of any endeavor. It offers clear evidence of whether your goals have been met, surpassed, or not reached. Analyzing data can also help savvy marketers identify golden opportunities for cost savings, brand expansion, or engagement with new demographic groups.

Today’s content marketing landscape is ever-changing, and successful marketers evolve accordingly. Proactively leveraging your data and tracking carefully selected content marketing KPIs keeps you ahead of the curve in all the right ways. The following examples are 30 critical content marketing KPI examples to watch moving forward.

Website Content Marketing KPIs

A website’s ability to attract and engage visitors is critical to the success of your content marketing efforts. Here are some essential KPIs for measuring content success related to website performance.

1. Impressions

If impressions are lower than expected, try tweaking your keyword strategy or reassessing your targeting goals to ensure you’re going after the right demographics. In the case of paid advertising, consider whether it might be worthwhile to kick your budget up a notch.

Impressions count the total number of times content is displayed to unique users on various platforms. 

It’s also important to note that as search engines evolve, the number one search result on Google isn’t necessarily the most desirable SERP position anymore. Features like knowledge panels and featured snippets are much more visible, and SEO strategies are evolving to include them. However, such features often fulfill user queries directly on the search page, potentially reducing traffic to websites.

2. Website traffic

When it comes to primary digital marketing analytics, website traffic is one of the first KPIs that most marketers think of, and with good reason. Website traffic numbers help you better understand your site’s overall reach and user interaction.

Gain additional insights into this metric by delving into individual traffic sources to learn more about how people find your sites. Reinvest in successful entry points (social media, Google ads, etc.) and content types. Analyze the paths visitors follow as they explore your site for additional insights into user behavior.

3. SEO rankings

Visibility is important; even the most well-written content won’t help a brand if no one can find it. Keeping tabs on your SEO rankings allows you to measure the effectiveness of your ongoing efforts.

Ensure your rankings keep moving in the right direction by making keyword research an ongoing part of your approach, taking care to include plenty of trending terms. Focus on building your backlink catalog, crafting uniquely useful content, and updating your high-performing content articles to keep them relevant.

4. Time spent on page

Attracting visitors to your content is only part of the battle when it comes to winning the content marketing game. You also need to hold their attention once you’ve got it, and tracking content marketing metrics like time spent on a page can help you determine how well you’re doing this.

Longer page dwell times generally correlate to higher engagement rates, so explore different ways to drive those numbers up. Add graphics and videos to lend visual interest. Ensure content is readable and easy to consume by organizing it well, using clear headings, and a narrative flow that guides readers smoothly from section to section.

5. Repeat visitor ratio

How do new visitors behave once they’ve discovered your content? Is that the last you see of them, or do they keep returning for more? Your repeat visitor ratio clues you into how well you’re cultivating user loyalty and fostering ongoing interest in what you’re doing content-wise.

Content marketers can improve this metric by giving audiences more of what they want, personalizing the user experience, updating popular content, and consistently publishing new articles. Additionally, promote engagement through social media and email subscriptions so your audiences never miss a content drop.

6. Lead generation

While content marketing is certainly about delivering standalone value to audiences, it’s important to remember it’s also about turning curious consumers into paying customers. Content manager KPIs like lead generation help lend valuable insight into this process.

Before you can begin nurturing leads, you need to generate qualified ones via ethical but effective tactics. Examples to consider include:

• Using powerful calls-to-action (CTAs).
• Implementing gated content to capture data.
• Offering incentives like freemium content to encourage visitors to opt into mailing lists or follow on social media.

7. Quality of leads

Beyond quantity, quality of leads is also important, especially for brands in the SaaS sector and other highly specific niches. However, all brands can benefit from targeting consumers who are not only likely to convert but also ready to.

Personalized content is key, as relevance is essential for capturing and retaining user interest. So can targeting individuals across all stages of a typical buyer’s journey. Utilize tools like buyer personas to help your content production team better target and personalize key content efforts.

8. Voice search optimization success

With the rising popularity of voice-operated options like Alexa and Google Assistant, voice search optimization is ever more important. Keep track of metrics that help assess how voice search-friendly your content is.

Make your content easier to discover via voice search by using long-tail keywords and conversational tone that reflects natural speech patterns. Leverage schema markup to structure your data to help search engines understand it better. If your business is location-specific, pay attention to local SEO, as well.

Content-Focused Marketing KPIs

Naturally, your content (both written and visual) is the heartbeat of any digital marketing strategy, so KPIs related to its structure and performance are crucial concerns. Here are a few content performance metrics to watch closely.

9. Content production speed

Quality may be king in content production, but consistency is queen. Content marketing success in 2024 calls for more than just informative, high-quality content. Marketers aiming to keep their brands top of mind must also generate content regularly, making content production speed an important KPI to know.

Developing a comprehensive content calendar that includes everything from updates to your company blog to your social media channels and newsletter can help you stay ahead of content production. Consider repurposing existing content and delegating creation tasks to expert writers and creators to streamline the process.

10. Content accessibility score

Inclusion and accessibility are the orders of the day in 2024, including when it comes to content marketing. Tracking your content accessibility score helps ensure your output adheres to all current quality standards and is as helpful as possible to all users, including those with disabilities.

You can keep your content accessibility score high by making your content as easy to consume as possible. Use large fonts that are easy to read, pay attention to strong contrast between text and background colors, and use headings to lend structure and readability to written content. Look into additional options like video captions, text transcripts, and accessible visual elements.

11. Content innovation index

In a digital landscape where every brand competes online with eye-catching content, genuine uniqueness is priceless. The more innovative and original your content is, the better it will perform in capturing the attention of your target audience.

You can boost your content innovation index by developing a deep understanding of your target audience and their needs. Pay attention to what’s already working for you, and use what you know to strike a solid balance between familiar and novel moving forward. Also, be sure to add your unique voice to your content – your most distinct asset that cannot be replicated by others. 

12. Content update frequency

While producing plenty of fresh, original content is crucial, you don’t want to leave your existing content out in the cold when it comes to your ongoing strategy. Updating existing web content frequently – especially any that consistently draws traffic your way – keeps it visible to search engines and relevant for your audience.

To optimize this KPI, plan for quarterly updates for topics that change often.  Annual updates are sufficient for key evergreen topics that are more stable.Integrate content updates into your ongoing content calendar to keep efforts consistent and timely.

13. User-generated content volume

Saying user-generated content (UGC) is a game-changer for brands in 2024 is a real understatement. UGC boosts engagement rates, drives interest in key products or services, and builds trust through compelling social proof. For that reason, tracking UGC volume can lend marketers powerful insight into how well they’re engaging their audience.

Encourage more UGC by actively requesting your to share their experiences or give feedback. Hold contests, giveaways, and similar events to incentivize incredible UGC, and be sure to engage with those who follow through by commenting and sharing.

14. Multimedia content engagement

Successful content marketing involves more than just written content like blogs, ebooks, and social media status updates. Today’s audiences crave and seek out variety in their content, and different demographics may have specific preferences to keep in mind.

Include multiple forms of media in your own content strategy – for example, videos, infographics, interactive graphics, etc. – alongside your standard written content. Add multimedia content engagement to your running list of trackable content marketing KPIs to gauge which content formats are most popular with your audience. Pay special attention to universally popular options like short-form videos as they tend to attract broad interest.

15. Content sentiment analysis

As important as facts and information are when it comes to getting a consumer to finalize a purchase decision, emotions are a lot more powerful. Create content that makes people feel things, and you’re well on your way to crafting an established, popular brand. Tracking content marketing KPIs like content sentiment ensures you stay aligned with these goals.

Sentiment analysis evaluates your content by comparing the frequency of positive versus negative expressions. Mood-associated words that invoke feelings of confidence, encouragement, professionalism, etc., also factor into the mix. Utilize AI tools – like Grammarly, to name just one – to help in this analysis. Apply what you learn to fine-tune the emotional appeal of your content and invoke desired responses.

16. Content experimentation rate

Constant experimentation and innovation are crucial to maintain a vibrant and successful content marketing strategy. But it’s equally important to track the success of all your attempts, so you know what’s working and what’s not. Monitoring content experimentation rate and related content marketing KPIs can help you here.

A/B testing is a proven method for comparing two or more versions of a campaign or content approach. Monitor specific metrics like test velocity, quality, win rate, and percentage uplift to gain additional insights into what’s really working and why.

Branding and Marketing-Focused Content Marketing KPIs

Effective KPI tracking in marketing means staying on top of metrics that reveal how you’re doing with your branding efforts, content performance, and overall return on your marketing investment. Here are some KPIs to help you do that.

17. Return on investment (ROI)

At the end of the day, content marketing is a business investment, so tracking the ROI of content marketing efforts is imperative. ROI is expressed as a percentage that compares the gains from your investment against the initial costs. To calculate ROI, use the formula: (return – investment ÷ investment) x 100 = ROI.

However, ROI also has a qualitative aspect. In addition to the financial numbers, consider factors like lead generation, customer loyalty rates, and overall brand awareness when determining ROI.

18. Brand awareness lift

In a nutshell, brand awareness speaks to how likely consumers are to instinctively recognize your brand or any of its products, services, slogans, or visual assets. The better your brand awareness, the more likely people are to actually choose your brand in competitive markets.

And what do you measure in content marketing when you want to gauge your ongoing brand awareness lift rate? Be on the lookout for metrics like share of voice, referral traffic, branded search volume, and earned media coverage. Enhance visibility by creating relevant content, distributing it across multiple channels, and supporting it with consistent promotion efforts.

19. Share of voice

Don’t underestimate the importance of share of voice (SOV) when assessing potentially useful content marketing KPIs. SOV measures how well your audience is vibing with your brand overall and how well it’s doing compared to your competition. You can leverage SOV to help you analyze social media performance, PPC advertising strategy, organic traffic, etc.

Ensure a healthy share of voice metrics by researching your audience and staying on top of their evolving needs and expectations. Develop shareable content to match and infuse it with your unique brand voice. Collaborating with influencers, thought leaders, and other brands can also help with SOV.

20. Content cost vs. performance

Just as it’s important to keep track of your overall content marketing ROI, you’ll also want to track your content cost vs. performance to ensure your efforts are as productive as possible. Useful metrics to consider include views, engagement rate, user behavior, number of new users, traffic numbers, etc.

Maximize your content’s efficiency by fully optimizing and repurposing it across multiple platforms in ways that make sense for your brand. Form strategic partnerships to expand your reach and help your content find new audiences. Invest in content types and approaches that resonate well with your audience.

21. Influencer collaboration effectiveness

Influencer marketing can be a powerful way to expand your reach for several reasons. Influencers come attached to highly engaged audiences who take recommendations to heart. Partnering with the right candidates in your niche can really take your brand awareness to the next level. However, keeping track of metrics related to influencer collaboration effectiveness is important.

Specify clear goals for your collaborations, communicate them to your partners, and track KPIs that align accordingly. Analyze ongoing collaborations and make adjustments as needed to optimize results. Learning from past campaigns can strengthen future efforts.

Audience and Customer Content Marketing KPIs

No comprehensive list of the best KPIs for content marketing would be complete without metrics that help you fully gauge how your content is landing with existing and potential customers. Here are some examples of essentials to keep in mind.

22. Engagement rate

Tracking engagement rates is a key part of gauging the overall success of your content. People engage with content that resonates with them. They comment on it, share it on their social media feeds, and reference it when producing their own content. Algorithms take note of all those little interactions and show engaging content to even more people.

To elevate engagement, consider incorporating calls for audience interaction or developing dynamic, interactive content. Such types of content not only captivates but also improves memory retention and overall brand recall due to its immersive nature.

23. Conversion rate

In content marketing, your conversion rate (CVR) reflects the overall percentage of web visitors who successfully complete a desired action. That action could be to finalize a sale, but it could also be to download freemium content, sign up for a mailing list, follow on social media, etc.

Higher conversion rates imply effective content that successfully educates, persuades, and leads audiences to act. You can fortify your content conversion rates by improving your overall user experience, crafting compelling calls to action, and highlighting key value propositions in your copy. Implement A/B testing to refine your messaging and improve content strategies across different formats.

24. Email open rates

If you’re like most people, you’re on multiple branded mailing lists but don’t necessarily have time to open every email you receive. Chances are you open the ones that seem most relevant to you or otherwise pique your curiosity and forego the rest. Your customers are the same.

The likelihood of an email being opened increases with its relevance and personalization. Segment your recipient lists according to criteria like past behavior, demographics, or location, and personalize email blasts accordingly. Craft irresistible subject lines, and be sure to send messages at optimal times to boost the chances of engagement.

25. Social shares

In a digital world where almost everyone has a social media presence and spends time on their favorite platforms daily, your social share metric is one of the most critical content marketing KPIs to monitor. People share content that resonates with them and that they’re proud to endorse to their friends and followers.

Determine where your target audience spends their social media time and build a strong, active presence on those platforms. Tailor your content for maximum shareability on each platform, incorporating visuals, strong headlines, and social sharing buttons into website content to boost your content’s shareability.

26. Customer retention rate

Well-crafted content is more than an effective way to attract new potential customers in your direction. When used wisely and approached skillfully, it can encourage loyalty and repeat business.

After defining your goals, do a deep dive into your audience’s pool of interest. Serve up content that meets their needs as repeat customers and brand-loyal consumers. You could include options that help clients get more out of existing purchases or take better care of the products they already own. Serialized content can also be effective in making sure your customers are engaged over time.

27. Audience growth rate

Tracking and analyzing your audience’s growth rate can give you valuable marketing insight into how well your overall content strategy is going. Examining details like traffic sources and comparing the strength of your presence on different platforms can tell you a thing or two about your current market reach.

You can supercharge your audience growth rate metric by prioritizing innovation in your content approach. Focus on informing, entertaining, and genuinely delighting your customers with your content offerings. Form partnerships with influencers and other thought leaders in your niche to expand your reach even further.

28. Customer satisfaction score (CSAT) post-content interaction

Monitoring how satisfied your customers are after interacting with your branded content is a solid way to assess how well your content offerings meet their needs. Content that is interacted with, shared, or endorsed typically meets or exceeds expectations.

Examining engagement KPIs (like conversion rate, churn rate, retention rate, and bounce rate) helps you get a more detailed read on how you’re doing here.

Customer feedback loops also lend valuable insight. Pay attention to what customers say in their comments and share captions. (Social listening interfaces may help catch everything.) Utilize  feedback via polls, surveys, and social media posts to enhance your content strategies

29. Net Promoter Score (NPS) related to content

Net Promoter Score (NPS) is a simple but informative metric that measures overall customer satisfaction, loyalty, and enthusiasm about a brand. To obtain one, you ask customers one simple question: “On a scale of 1 to 10, how likely are you to recommend us to a friend?”

A high NPS often correlates with customers who enjoy their experience enough to recommend it to others. Apply NPS to gain insight into how your customers feel about your content. Focus your content strategy on delivering helpful, entertaining content throughout every stage of the customer life cycle to maintain high NPS levels.

30. Content reach by geographic location

Understanding where your customers are from can help you more effectively tailor content to their needs. Examine your content and traffic metrics to assess where your reach is the strongest. Are most of your customers local or global? Are there specific cities or regions where your reach is particularly strong?

Explore unique behaviors, preferences, and purchasing patterns  of these areas to create tailored content. Ensure you’re paying enough attention to local SEO related to those locations to enhance your reach further.

Elevating Your Content Strategy with KPIs

Although commonly tracked KPIs like web traffic, customer engagement, and customer retention rate should always make your list of go-to content marketing KPIs, they’re not all there is to the picture. Monitoring and analyzing a well-rounded list that includes gems like the examples listed above gives you a much fuller understanding of how you’re really doing and helps you stay competitive in an increasingly crowded digital space.

Ready to take your content marketing game to the next level? Let the seasoned content experts at Crowd Content help you revolutionize your strategy and fully leverage key content marketing KPIs to maximize your brand success. Get in touch today, and tell us more about your content goals.

The post 30 Essential Content Marketing KPIs You Can’t Ignore appeared first on Crowd Content - Blog.

Using editorial calendar templates is the only way to make it happen. It creates structure, enabling you to publish consistent, quality content and keep your brand at the top of customers’ minds. 

Consumers’ thirst for content is limitless. If you deliver value and know your audience, you can reach them. But if you don’t publish enough to keep them hydrated, they quench their curiosity elsewhere. Here’s our guide to creating, implementing, and maintaining an editorial calendar. 

Components of an Editorial Calendar Template

From evergreen articles to seasonal campaigns, you can tailor an editorial calendar template to back your brand’s goals. Let’s look at the essential components:

• Content type: From blog posts to social media updates and email newsletters, editorial calendars accommodate various content types. This versatility ensures you attract a broad audience.
• Publication dates: Stay on track with scheduled publication dates to maintain engagement and visibility for all team members. Flexibility is key here, allowing you to adapt to shifting priorities and seasonal trends. 
• Channels: Specify where each piece of content should be published to ensure a cohesive schedule across all platforms.
• Viral opportunities: Anticipate and capitalize on viral moments by aligning your content with industry events and trending topics. Forward planning prevents last-minute scrambles.
• Responsible team members: For complex projects, incorporate a simple RACI chart detailing roles and responsibilities. This streamlines collaboration and creates accountability within your team.
• Status: For straightforward projects where designated roles are established, use status columns to indicate the production stage of each order. As the statuses shift, collaborating team members are notified it’s their turn to step in. 
• Content brief: While the project brief’s instructions apply to the content type as a whole, each piece typically pairs with a content brief. Content calendars simplify the review process, so why not provide all the resources in one spot? 
  

Why every content team needs a template 

Proactivity delivers better results than reactivity. Planning content a week ahead of time doesn’t leave wiggle room for shifts in your marketing strategy, which is likely to change occasionally. But there’s more to it than punctuality. Here are more benefits of using an editorial calendar:

• Improved organization: Centralizing content planning and scheduling helps your team stay on track with content goals.
• Enhanced collaboration: Clear assignment of roles and responsibilities fosters better collaboration among team members, reducing confusion and doubling-up of efforts.
• Consistency: A structured editorial calendar ensures a consistent publishing schedule, which is essential for maintaining audience engagement and brand credibility and surfing the elusive algorithms.
• Strategic alignment: Editorial calendars enable teams to align content with marketing objectives by providing high-level overviews of how each piece of content contributes to business goals.

An editorial calendar brings order to chaos. If you’re always chasing your tail, going from ideation to strategy to publication, you need a template. Download our editorial calendar template, and breathe a sigh of relief.

How to Craft an Editorial Calendar Template

If only content creation were as easy as hiring a skilled writer and asking them to create an article for you. Your brand strategy, business goals, ideation, and content strategy must be watertight long before pen meets paper. This requires relentless attention to detail and a deep knowledge of your audience’s pain points. 

Brand strategy comes first 

Your brand must have a clear identity, including unique personality, tone, values, and objectives. Next, craft a brand story that speaks to your audience’s desires, fears, and aspirations. With a brand strategy firmly in place, you never run out of content ideas or post articles that misalign with business goals. 

Step-by-step guide to crafting an editorial calendar

Here’s a step-by-step guide to creating an editorial calendar:

1. Define goals and objectives. Nail down your goals and objectives, whether they’re boosting brand awareness or driving leads. Your editorial calendar should be laser-focused on your targets.
2. Research your audience. Get to know your audience inside and out. Dive deep into demographics, preferences, and pain points to tailor your content accordingly.
3. Ideate and plan the content. Brainstorm content ideas for the upcoming year that hit the mark with your audience and brand messaging and nod to potential viral moments. 
4. Map ideas onto your content calendar. Once you have a pool of content ideas, map them out on your editorial calendar. Consider seasonal relevancy, industry trends, and key events that may impact your audience’s interests.
5. Be specific. Allocate dates for each piece of content, ensuring a balanced mix of topics and formats each month. This helps you maintain engagement and motivates your audience to return for more.
6. Initiate content creation and collaboration. Assign tasks to your team and ensure everyone knows their role and deadlines. Collaboration is key here — writers, designers, and stakeholders should all be on the same page.
7. Start to publish and distribute the finished product. It’s time to get your content out there. Determine the best channels and timing for publication, maximizing your reach and engagement.
8. Maintain flexibility. Allow space for spontaneous content opportunities and last-minute adjustments to accommodate changes in your marketing strategy or the industry landscape.
9. Monitor your content’s success and optimize early on. Keep a close eye on your content’s performance using tools like Google Analytics. Track metrics such as impressions and organic traffic to fine-tune your editorial calendar.

SEO integration within your calendar

As Google’s algorithm grows ever more sophisticated, SEO becomes increasingly important. You’re not just optimizing content to meet a few criteria anymore — search algorithms expect high-quality, people-first content that delivers value. 

Here’s how to weave SEO into your editorial calendar:

• Keyword mapping: Make sure each piece strategically targets specific keywords to enhance its visibility in the SERPs. Use keyword research tools and allocate relevant phrases to each piece on your editorial calendar. Consider search volume, competitiveness, and how the phrases fit into the marketing funnel to pinpoint search intent. 
• Content mapping: Harmonize your editorial calendar with content mapping exercises. Identify topics and themes that resonate with your audience and integrate them into your calendar for a cohesive SEO strategy.
• Content gap analysis: Identify gaps in your content coverage using SEO tools and analytics. Schedule content ideation sessions to address gaps so you can capture untapped search opportunities.
• Topic clusters and pillar content: Consider organizing your calendar around topic clusters and pillar content. Identify core topics and supporting subtopics to create a cohesive content ecosystem that strengthens your website’s topical authority.
• Seasonal planning: Capitalize on seasonal trends and search queries when crafting your editorial calendar. Embed timely themes related to seasonal events, holidays, and industry trends to leverage spikes in search traffic.
• On-page optimization schedule: Incorporate on-page optimization directly within your editorial calendar. Assign specific time slots or deadlines for optimizing metadata, headers, and other on-page elements.

Infuse your editorial calendar with SEO best practices so your content attracts more organic traffic and solidifies brand authority online. 

Best Practices for Implementing Your Editorial Calendar

Looking for ways to level up your editorial calendar game? Follow these editorial calendar best practices to drive organic traffic and establish your brand as a force to be reckoned with. 

Collaborative excellence 

Forge strong cross-functional partnerships within your team to drive collaborative content planning. Reward experimentation and creativity whenever possible to demonstrate you embrace bold ideas and innovative approaches. 

Data-driven insights 

Regularly cast a keen eye over key performance indicators to determine areas for improvement. Use these insights to guide future content decisions, prioritizing initiatives with the highest ROI. 

Experiment with A/B testing to gauge perception and optimize engagement. Keep refining your approach based on this type of solid evidence, focusing on strategies that deliver tangible results. 

Content repurposing and amplification

Breathe new life into content through strategic repurposing. Locate the timeless gems within your content library and reshape and revitalize them to reach fresh audiences. You can even repurpose content for different social platforms to extend your content’s reach.

For amplification, play with diverse multimedia formats, such as videos, infographics, and podcasts, to cater to varied preferences and consumption habits.

Crowd Content’s Downloadable Editorial Calendar Template

Designed to streamline your planning process and maximize efficiency, our template is your ticket to organized and strategic content creation. 

How to use your downloadable template

Getting started with our editorial calendar template is a breeze. Navigate to the resources section of our website or scroll to the bottom of the page, where you’ll find the template available for download. Once downloaded, open the file using your preferred spreadsheet software, and you’re ready to roll.

The template is intuitively designed, with clearly labeled sections for content type, publication dates, channels, viral moments, responsible team members, and more. Input content ideas, deadlines, and team assignments, and marvel as your content strategy comes to life.

Customizing Crowd Content’s editorial calendar template 

What sets Crowd Content’s template apart is its flexibility and adaptability to various content strategies. Whether you’re a solopreneur managing a blog or a marketing team overseeing multiple campaigns, you can tailor our template to suit your needs.

Customization options abound, allowing you to add or remove columns, adjust date formats, and personalize categories to align with your brand’s unique requirements. Need to incorporate SEO keywords or track content performance metrics? Our template can accommodate it all.

Say goodbye to scattered content planning and hello to a results-driven strategy.

The post Master Content Planning With Editorial Calendar Templates appeared first on Crowd Content - Blog.

An effective user manual should not only be informative enough to reduce the need for additional support, but it should also be engaging so the readers have a positive experience while using it. Providing a well-designed user manual gives your customers confidence that they can use the product or service to its full potential with minimal frustration. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll dive into the essential strategies and best practices for crafting user manuals that will be an invaluable asset to your audience. 

What Does a Good User Manual Look Like?

A high-quality user manual is crucial not only for facilitating the correct use of a product but also for enhancing user satisfaction and trust in a brand. Understanding the elements that contribute to a successful manual is essential for crafting documents that truly meet the needs of end-users.

Key Features of an Effective Manual

An exceptional user manual is characterized by clarity, accessibility, and user-centric design. It should be comprehensive, yet concise, providing all the necessary information without overwhelming the reader. The language used must be accessible to a diverse audience, potentially including non-technical users. Effective manuals are often visually appealing as well, incorporating well-designed graphics that complement the text and improve understanding.

Understanding Your Audience: The Key to Effective User Manuals

The foundation of a successful user manual is a deep understanding of your target audience. Knowing not only who will need your manual but also who will use it is essential. Before even starting to create your user manual, identify the specific needs, challenges, and preferences of the individuals who will be using your product or service. Know your audience and create some customer personas for them. By gaining insights into their level of technical expertise, common pain points, and how they will use the manual, you can tailor the content to meet their unique requirements.

Identifying User Needs and Preferences

Conduct surveys, interviews, testing sessions, or focus groups to understand how your audience’s backgrounds, goals, and preferences affect how they interact with your product. These methods allow you to gather feedback directly from your audience. By gathering information from people who are actually using your product or service, you can identify areas that require more clarity or additional explanation. Incorporating this feedback into the user manual ensures that it addresses the most pressing concerns or questions your users are likely to have.

Incorporating User Feedback into Your Manual Design

The insights gathered from user feedback will shape the structure, language, and visuals of your manual. This valuable input provides a direct line into the minds of your target audience, allowing you to understand their perspectives, pain points, and needs.

If you have an existing user manual you are updating, user feedback can reveal areas where the current structure or flow of information is disjointed or confusing. User feedback can help you reorganize sections, adjust the order of topics, or add clearer transitions between concepts. User feedback can also let you know if certain explanations are too technical or if the tone is overly formal. Adapting the language can improve the manual’s readability..

Feedback on visuals, either where they’ll be needed or where they are missing in existing content, can be invaluable. Well-designed images, diagrams, and infographics provide a visual representation that complements and reinforces the written explanations, making it easier for users to understand and follow the information. 

Structuring Your Manual for Success

A well-structured user manual ensures a comfortable experience for your readers. A logical flow, clear headings, and an intuitive layout significantly enhances the manual’s usability. Begin by outlining the key sections and topics that need to be covered. Then, outline topics following a natural progression from basic information to more advanced concepts. Figure out what topics would benefit from images, diagrams, or illustrations. Create clear and descriptive headings to help users quickly locate the information they need. Consider incorporating a detailed table of contents and or an index to help users easily navigate to their topic of interest. 

Other things to think about are accessibility and cross-cultural communication. In today’s global marketplace, user manuals often need to be accessible to audiences with diverse cultural backgrounds and language proficiencies. Clear and intuitive images can be universally understandable, ensuring that instructions are understandable regardless of the user’s native tongue.

Follow accessibility standards to ensure the manual can be effectively used by individuals with diverse abilities and needs. This includes providing alternative formats such as large print and adequate visual contrast between backgrounds and text. 

Choosing the Right Format: Print vs. Digital

When it comes to format, both print and digital options have their strengths. Print manuals offer a tactile experience and can be easily referenced during hands-on tasks. Digital manuals provide the convenience of searchability and the ability to incorporate multimedia elements. In today’s world where digital options can be downloaded and printed out, it may not have to be an either-or decision. Printed manuals can have a QR code to enable users to access a digital version they can store on their computer. This can alleviate any concern over losing the printed document. And digital downloads can be made available for those who wish to print out a copy or store the digital version on their personal devices. 

Evaluate the pros and cons of print and digital formats to determine the most suitable option for your audience and product.  

Enhancing Manuals with Interactive Elements

As technology continues to evolve, using digital user manuals offers the opportunity to add interactive experiences. Explore innovative techniques, such as interactive digital manuals or augmented reality features, to create a more engaging and memorable experience for your users.

Interactive elements can also enhance accessibility. Using audio descriptions allows users to engage with the information in ways other than reading. Embedded video clips can help explain difficult concepts in a way that is potentially superior to a static illustration or diagram. Both audio descriptions and video clips can be invaluable for users with visual impairments. 

Additionally, following web accessibility guidelines like proper heading structures, descriptive alt text for images, and keyboard navigation support can make digital manuals more accessible to users with motor or cognitive disabilities. 

User Manual Outline Template

The product or service you offer will affect how long your manual outline will be. However, it is important to remember that the best manuals are comprehensive and in-depth. To help guide your manual creation process, consider the following outline as a starting point. .

• Introduction

• Product overview and description 
• List of components or items included
• Intended audience 
• How to use this manual 
• Safety information and warnings
• Product Overview

• Product specifications
• Key features and functionality
• Performance data
• Diagrams of main features
• Distinguishing between different makes or models
• Overview of different configurations

• Getting Started
• Operations

• Safety
• Basic use

• Advanced Features
• Maintenance and Care
• Troubleshooting
• Support and Additional Resources
• Appendices

• FAQs
• Technical specifications
• Glossary of terms
• Regulatory and compliance information
• Repair information

While this template provides a solid foundation, crafting a truly comprehensive and user-friendly manual often requires a lot of time and expertise. Professional technical writing services can help streamline the process, ensuring that your manual is thoroughly researched, well-structured, and tailored to your audience’s needs.

Writing Clear and Engaging Content

The language and writing style employed in your user manual can make or break its effectiveness. Clarity, conciseness, and the ability to engage and instruct simultaneously are paramount. After all, the purpose of a user manual is to explain a concept in a way that anyone reading the manual can understand. Strive for simplicity by using plain language and avoiding technical jargon or long sentences. Break down complex concepts into small, digestible chunks. 

The Art of Technical Writing: Tips for Clarity and Precision

Here are some writing tips for ensuring clarity and precision when creating user manuals or other technical documentation.

Active vs. passive voice

Use an active voice to create a more direct and engaging tone. Active voice is usually clearer and more direct and usually makes sentences more concise and straightforward. Active voice phrases like “Press the button” or “Insert the cable” clearly convey the action the user needs to take. Passive voice can make sentences longer and more convoluted. Consider this example: 

Active: Insert the cable. 

Passive: The cable should be inserted.

Active voice is generally more user-friendly when it is explaining action.

Be concise

Don’t use more words than necessary. Stick to brief, straightforward sentences.

Break up complex information

Break multi-step processes or complex concepts into small and easy-to-digest chunks. 

Be consistent 

Once you introduce a term, such as the name of a button or menu option, use that same term consistently throughout your document. If you are using icons, be consistent in how and what is represented with the icons.

Use numbered/bulleted lists

Lists with numbers and bullets are scannable. Clear numbering or bullet points makes sequences of steps much easier to follow. 

Be descriptive

Use specific, descriptive details, quantities, names, etc. Vague language like “place it in the box” can be confusing. Instead, say what “it” is. For instance, “place the filled and sealed envelope in the box.”

Define terms

If you are using any specialized terminology, provide clear definitions when the terms are used.

Incorporate Visuals and Design Elements

Visual elements play a crucial role in enhancing the comprehension and usability of user manuals. Effective use of images, diagrams, icons, and other visual aids can help users better understand and follow instructions.

Designing with the User in Mind: Visuals That Teach

When selecting visuals, ensure that images and diagrams are legible and readable even in smaller print sizes. Ensure they accurately depict the subject matter. They should also be properly labeled or captioned so they match how the illustrations are referenced within the text. Choose typography with a high level of readability and stick to just one font for visual continuity. 

Leveraging Technology for Next-Level Visual Instructions 

Digital manuals offer the flexibility to incorporate interactive elements that enhance usability and engagement. Features such as clickable navigation menus or pop-up definitions can provide users with on-demand access to additional information or visual aids. Consider adding features such as guided walkthroughs that take users through an experience in an immersive way, allowing for practice or hands-on experience.

Augmented reality technology opens up exciting possibilities for user manuals. By overlaying digital information onto the real-world environment, AR can provide users with context-specific instructions or visual cues directly related to the product or task at hand. For example, an AR-enabled manual can allow users to point their device’s camera at a specific component, triggering the display of step-by-step instructions, animations, or diagrams. 

Testing and Refining Your Manual

Even after meticulous planning and execution, user testing and iterative refinement are crucial steps in ensuring the effectiveness of your manual. Gathering feedback from actual users can help identify areas that require further clarification, highlight missed opportunities, and ultimately lead to a more user-friendly and comprehensive manual.

Gathering and Implementing User Feedback

Consider conducting pilot tests or user acceptance testing sessions. These sessions are opportunities for individuals from your target audience to actually interact with the manual and provide honest feedback. Closely observe how they move through the manual and note any areas of confusion or frustration. Do they flip back and forth between pages to find information? Are they able to successfully complete the task just by reading the manual? Their feedback will give you valuable information about any areas ripe for improvement.

Iterative Design: Refining Your Manual for Perfection

Embrace the idea that your manual will likely not be something that is written once and then done for all time. Instead, take an iterative approach to manual design and recognize that it will need continuous refinement. Aside from product updates or new versions, updating a user manual may also be necessary to stay in compliance with new regulations or standards or to incorporate new technologies or formats.  

Elevating User Experience with Effective Manuals

Creating a user manual that is truly useful for your audience is an important endeavor that will be rewarding for your business. When you understand what your audience needs, you can structure the user manual in a way that provides a valuable resource for them and reduces the need for more customer service interactions down the road. Craft your user manual so that the instructions make sense, the flow is logical, and anyone can pick it up and understand how to get the most out of your product. 

If you find the process of creating a detailed user manual from scratch overwhelming or lack the time and resources to dedicate to it, consider leveraging professional technical writing services. Our team of experienced writers and editors can work with you to understand your product and audience, conduct research, and craft a user manual that not only informs but also engages your users. We also offer manual editing and refreshing services, allowing you to provide an initial draft that we can refine and polish.

The post How to Write a User Manual Your Users Will Love 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.

With so many tools out there, we know firsthand that finding the right ones can be confusing. We curated this ultimate guide to share what we’ve learned with you. Discover two paid and three free SEO tools, their pros and cons, and the real-world problems they solve. 

If you’re in a hurry, check out our quick guides: 

Free SEO Optimization Tools

Google Search Console 

Best for website troubleshooting and performance tracking

Intro to the tool

Search Console is your first step toward mastering search engine optimization. It helps anyone with a website get a grasp on the basics, and it’s a must-have tool for pros. Search Analytics shows you the terms people punch into Google Search to find your site, helping you refine content. Plus, tools like sitemap submissions and the Index Coverage Report simplifies how Google categorizes and ranks your pages. 

Pros and cons 

Pros of Search Console:

• Content strategy: Get vital intel on how users find your site on Google, what they click on, and how your pages rank. 
• Troubleshooting in your hands: Search Console alerts you to things like 404 errors and other issues that prevent your site from ranking higher. Fixing small errors makes a big difference, so never ignore an alert.
• Specialty reports: Dig into Google’s specialized reports to understand and improve your site’s mobile usability and links. 

Cons of Search Console:

• Data overload: If you’re new to SEO, the sheer amount of information can be overwhelming. But don’t let it put you off. Learn how to use it step by step, tool by tool.
• Manual labor: Fixes aren’t automatic, so you need some technical knowledge to take action on Search Console’s insights. 
• Delayed info: It doesn’t provide real-time data, but you can use it to focus on trends and issues over time. 

Special features

Search Console is a direct line of communication between you and Google Search. It provides actionable data about how Google indexes your site, alerts you to critical issues and tells you which search terms you’re ranking for.   

Pricing

Google Search Console is available at no cost.

What we’ve heard

Tom Demers, cofounder of Measured SEM and Cornerstone Content, outlines Google Search Console’s functions:

Demers says he “likes that Google Search Console monitors, debugs, and optimizes your website — and you don’t need to know how to code to benefit from this tool.”

What are Google Search Console’s use cases?

Here are some examples of how different users might incorporate Search Console into their SEO strategy:

• Technical SEO: Monitor Core Web Vitals to identify and troubleshoot website speed and user experience issues. This helps maintain high engagement and reduce bounce rates.
  
• E-commerce site owner: Track indexing issues for product pages and make sure Google is discovering new products. This drives your site’s visibility and sales since you can quickly address indexing failures through instant alerts.
  
• Recipe blog: Identify high-potential keywords with low competition through Search Analytics. Use these insights to tweak your content to improve rankings for those terms.
  
• Restaurant: Measure clicks from Google Maps results and queries such as “restaurants near me” or “best contemporary American cuisine in New York.” This refines your SEO strategies to target local customers more effectively.

• SaaS website: Catch crawl errors, troubleshoot broken pages, and check that you’ve implemented structured data — think product schema — correctly. 
  
• Web developer: Use the Fetch as Google feature to test how Googlebot renders pages and diagnoses rendering issues that might be invisible to users but prevent Google from understanding your pages.

Google Business Profile 

Best for boosting local businesses’ visibility on Google  

Intro to the tool

Google Business Profile is your online storefront, only better. Use it to tell customers about your hours, contact info, photos, directions, and reviews. Google displays this info prominently on local Google Maps and Search results. Optimize it and collect enough glowing reviews, and you’ll be at the top of the deck when web users search for your industry in your location. 

It’s best for:

• Brick-and-mortar businesses: Retailers, restaurants, tradespeople, service businesses, and any company with a physical location customers visit.
• Businesses with a strong local customer base: A strong GBP presence is a must if your business serves a defined geographic area.

Pros and cons 

Pros of Google Business Profile:

• Local SEO hero: GBP puts your business on the map — literally. It’s designed to connect your services with the needs of local customers effectively. 
• Customer interaction hub: Use the platform to respond to messages, answer questions, and show off how responsive you are.
• Full of insights: Track clicks, calls, site visits, and other hard data that helps you understand how customers and prospects interact with your brand. 

Cons of Google Business Profile:

• Requires regular updates: You need to update your profile regularly to stay relevant and rank high in local searches.
• Intensely competitive: Local SEO is a fierce battleground, especially in populated areas. Go all out to make your listing stand out.
• Limited control: It’s your profile, but Google might make changes or add content you can’t amend. 

Special features

Optimizing your Google Business Profile is the best way to get discovered online locally. When you search for a service, Google shows you three results under a map. Make your way into the “local pack,” as it’s known, and watch footfall and site traffic soar. Add attributes, such as “women-owned” or “outdoor seating,” to show your target audience key details at a glance.   

Pricing

Google Business Profile is available at no cost.

What we’ve heard

Digital marketing guru Neil Patel says:

“Keeping tabs on your Google Business Profile using Google Maps or Google Search allows you to step into your audience’s shoes and see what your business looks like online to them. Keeping your profile up to date is crucial to making sure you and your customers are on the same page.”

What are Google Business Profile’s use cases?

• Small business owners: Ensure your listing is complete, accurate, and has a bunch of high-quality photos. A well-maintained profile can build trust and attract more customers. 
  
• Multilocation brands: Use GBP’s bulk location management features to streamline updates across all your stores.
  
• Service-based businesses: Proactively ask happy customers for reviews and manage them with care to build credibility.

QuestionDB

Best for content ideation and keyword research using real user questions

Intro to the tool

Google’s 2024 deal with Reddit highlights a key trend: people are using conversational searches. QuestionDB mines questions asked by real people on real platforms such as Reddit and Quora, giving you actionable real-world data, such as long-tail keywords and emerging search trends. This free tool can help you drive serious, conversion-focused traffic. 

Pros and cons 

Pros of QuestionDB:

• Never assume again: See the questions people are genuinely asking instead of making assumptions.  
• Audience insight goldmine: Dig deep and create detailed audience personas based on your target market’s questions. Learn about their pain points and desires to find new ideas, and watch new ones pop up daily.
• Target SGE and conversational search: QuestionDB shows you how conversations translate into search behavior. Analyzing Reddit-sourced questions shows you what’s gaining traction before it hits the mainstream.  

Cons of QuestionDB:

• Requires data analysis: You have to carefully sort through results and understand how to translate queries into search intent. Then, transform that knowledge into bottom-of-the-funnel content. 
• Can get overwhelming: QuestionDB offers a ton of data, so focus your searches to avoid overload.
• One small part of a solution: Without strong writing and strategic SEO, knowing which questions to ask won’t propel your content to the top of the SERPs.

Special features

QuestionDB is a uniquely useful tool for any brand, marketer, or freelancer looking to improve their ideation game. Find questions that people are asking in your niche and create content to satisfy their curiosity. 

Pricing

The basic plan is free, and QuestionDB recommends trying it out before deciding if you require the paid plan. For more extensive features, consider the paid plan options: $15 per month for an individual and $50 for an agency.

What we’ve heard

Digital marketing influencer Matt Shirley sums up the benefits of using QuestionDB:

“Publishing high-quality content around questions that real people ask will not only help you rank higher on Google, your business will also gain more authority and establish topical expertise.”

What are QuestionDB’s use cases?

• Content manager: Supercharge your editorial calendar with questions people are actually asking in your industry.
• E-commerce business owner: Craft content that addresses your target audience’s pain points and search intent.
• SEO strategist: Target the conversational keywords that offer a better chance of ranking high and addressing users at the decision-making stage of the buying process.
  

Paid and Advanced SEO Tools

SurferSEO

Best for AI-powered on-page optimization

Intro to the tool

SurferSEO gives you the blueprint to create content that ranks. Get keyword guidance and on-page optimization tools and see what’s working on Google. It provides data-driven guidelines for keyword density, related terms, optimal word count, and which headings to use. 

Curious about AI-generated content? SurferSEO has an AI-driven writing tool you can test drive. Such an advanced toolkit might initially intimidate beginners, but as soon as you have a firm grasp on SEO basics, this comprehensive platform can help your agency or brand rank higher on SERPs.

Pros and cons 

Pros of SurferSEO:

• Handy blueprint: SurferSEO analyzes more than 500 signals across the top 10 articles currently ranking on Google. It uses this data to generate a blueprint to help you craft SEO-optimized content. 
• AI-powered: SurferAI can create articles in minutes.
• Audits and content gap analysis: Surfer performs thorough content audits and content gap analysis to help you level up your content strategy. 

Cons of SurferSEO:

• AI hallucinations: Relying on AI-generated content for factual information, grammar, syntax, storytelling, and brand voice isn’t an option. AI content without human oversight comes across as low-effort to readers and search engines and could get flagged as spam by Google.  
• Steep learning curve: Surfer offers a comprehensive suite of SEO tools that are more useful for individuals and teams with SEO know-how. However, it’s expensive, so make sure you understand how to extract the maximum ROI before investing.
• Critical oversight needed: Sometimes, Surfer suggests keywords that aren’t relevant to your content at all. It’s a tool, not a fix-all. Think critically and don’t over-rely on it. 

Special features

Some of SurferSEO’s unique features include:

• SERP Analyzer: View a dashboard offering a detailed look at what’s currently ranking and see how your page stacks up.
• Keyword Research: Strategize using topic clusters for a holistic SEO approach.
• Integrations: Integrates with Jasper, WordPress, Google Docs, and Contentful. 
  

Pricing

• Essential: $89 per month — ideal for small business owners and freelancers
• Scale: $129 per month — suited for for midsize agencies and marketing teams
• Scale AI: $219 per month — designed for agencies and content teams looking to scale up with AI
• Enterprise: $399 per month — best for large agencies and marketing teams

What we’ve heard

SEO sage Matthew Woodward says:

“I like it because it helps me with my SEO daily tasks in a way no other tool in that price range does. It has quickly become a key tool in my SEO process, and we are seeing more and more SurferSEO success stories by the day.”

What are SurferSEO’s use cases?

• Lifestyle blog: Optimize existing articles on “healthy recipes” to improve their ranking potential by adding additional keywords found in the SERP analysis.
• Digital marketing agency: Create detailed content briefs for clients that include keyword targets, content length, and structure recommendations based on SurferSEO’s competitor analysis.
• Online course provider: Identify content gaps on competitors’ websites related to “learn [insert industry]” that you can fill to draw in qualified traffic.

Ahrefs 

Best link-building tool for big brands and agencies  

Intro to the tool

Ahrefs is your backlink analysis buddy. It’s a favorite tool among SEO experts because it helps uncover who’s linking to competitors, finds new link-building opportunities, and keeps tabs on your website’s backlink profile. Backlinks are one element of SEO success — think of them as endorsements from other sites. Ahrefs helps you get the backlinks that will make an impact on your SERP ranking.

Pros and cons 

Pros of Ahrefs:

• Massive backlink database: Ahrefs  has an extensive, regularly updated backlink database, making it a go-to resource for SEO-boosting link-building efforts.
• Robust toolkit: Ahrefs does more than analyze your backlinks. It offers solid features for keyword research, content analysis, and competitor tracking.
• Data-driven directions: Ahrefs helps you interpret complex data like a pro and tells you how to turn those insights into an action plan.

Cons of Ahrefs:

• Steep learning curve: Ahrefs is a professional tool that’s ideal for agencies, big businesses, and freelance SEO specialists. Those new to SEO might need time to fully realize its potential.
• Pricey investment: Ahrefs is expensive.
• Backlinks might not be as vital as they once were: Google is starting to prioritize user intent, E-E-A-T, brand mentions, UX, and comprehensive content just as much as links. If you’re on a budget, you can focus on these elements without spending a fortune on software.

Special features

• Site Explorer: Take a deep dive into any website’s backlink profile. Find out who links to it and what the most valuable links are.
• Rank Tracker: Keep tabs on your search rankings and see how they compare to competitors.
• Site audits: Ahrefs crawls your site to generate a detailed report on technical SEO issues that could hamper your ranking potential.

Pricing

• Lite: $79 per month — ideal for small businesses and side projects
• Standard: $159 per month — suitable for marketing consultants and SEO professionals
• Advanced: $319 per month — designed for lean in-house teams
• Enterprise: $799 per month — best for large agencies and major enterprises

What we’ve heard

Backlinko boss Brian Dean uses Ahrefs for broken link building. He says it’s “because I can EASILY find broken external and internal links in Ahrefs. In fact, this simple feature has saved me dozens of hours.”

What are Ahrefs use cases?

• Digital marketing agency: Track clients’ backlink profiles, identify and act on link-building opportunities, and generate reports to show off your results.
• E-commerce store selling outdoor gear: Discover where competitors get backlinks on camping blogs, hiking forums, and peer review sites. Then, target those same websites for your own products.
• Recipe blog: Understand which recipes attract the most backlinks and prioritize creating similar content to improve your site’s appeal.
• SaaS company: Identify review websites and industry blogs featuring your competitors. Pitch your product for inclusion on those same sites.

SEO Tools Are One Element of Your SEO Strategy

SEO tools are powerful, but they’re not crystal balls. A suggested keyword might be popular, but is it truly relevant to your business? Can your content deliver on what searchers expect? Remember, tools inform your strategy, but your expertise guides it.

While SEO is an essential piece of the digital marketing puzzle, it’s not the whole picture. Outstanding user experience, compelling content that genuinely addresses customer needs, and alignment with your brand voice are just as crucial for long-term success.

What’s the Best Tool for SEO?

There’s no single best tool for SEO optimization. The ones that work for you depend on your customers’ needs, business goals, and level of expertise.

Our CEO, Carlos Meza, sums it up:

“There are many SEO optimization tools available on the market. You need to pick the one that works best for your business type. For instance, there are tools that are better suited for enterprise, while there are others better suited for SMBs.

Also, you need to keep in mind that these tools only offer a blueprint, and some of their information isn’t 100% accurate. You should always exercise critical thinking and use data from the tools as one piece of information and not the ultimate answer. Combining Insights from the tools with your experience and critical thinking is the best formula.” 

For those ready to take their SEO strategy to the next level, our SEO Content Writing Services are here to help. Visit our SEO Content Writing Services page to learn more about how we can enhance your content’s SEO performance.

The post Tools for SEO Optimization appeared first on Crowd Content - Blog.

These platforms help gather and deliver valuable insights into audience behavior, keyword performance, and overall content effectiveness. To help leverage this intelligence, we evaluated some of the top content analytics software on the market. Read on to learn about available options, features, and pricing and how these tools can help refine your marketing strategies and boost the impact of your content.

Benefits of Content Analytics Tools

Sometimes, you might feel like you’re submerged in data. You’ve got stats flowing in from your website, social networks, marketing emails, paid ads, and influencer campaigns. How do you harness this data and make informed decisions about your digital strategy?

You could manually compile bits and pieces in a spreadsheet and attempt to find patterns and trends, but it’s more effective to use software built just for this purpose. Some benefits of using content analytics tools include:

• Efficiency: Content marketing analytics tools automate the gathering and processing of data, eliminating repetitive and time-consuming tasks. This lets you focus on interpreting the numbers rather than compiling them.
• Integration: Technology can streamline the process of gathering data, instantly pulling information from various channels.
• Accuracy: Automated platforms process large volumes of data with precision, eliminating human mistakes and inconsistencies in approaches.
• Versatility: You can segment data across channels, formats, and audiences to look at interactions from different perspectives and more accurately adapt your strategies.
• Artificial intelligence: Powerful content analytics tools leverage predictive analytics, machine learning, and AI-driven insights. In other words, by analyzing historical trends and learning as new information comes in, these tools can make your business highly responsive and competitive.

Essential Features for Content Analytics Tools

To choose a tool that meets your brand’s unique needs, consider what you want to achieve with your analytics. Common functionalities include:

• Insights into audience demographics and behaviors to help tailor content
• Engagement metrics to determine which content performs the best
• SEO analysis to help boost search visibility
• Competitor analysis to ensure you’re keeping up with similar websites
• Content optimization to help fine-tune content to better engage audiences
• Conversion tracking to evaluate how well you’re driving desired actions
• AI-powered analytics to personalize user experience and capitalize on predicted trends

Not all tools have the same robust features, so use our list below to narrow down possible options. Before making a final decision, read reviews from other users, consider scalability and integrations with your existing systems, and take advantage of free trials and demos to find a platform that’s a good fit for your business.

10 Content Analytics Tools: Features, Reviews, Prices, and More

It’s hard to single out one content analytics tool as being the best on the market. They all have different approaches. Some are all-in-one tools, and others aim for simplicity. Some focus on search visibility, and others zero in on user behavior or content engagement.

We looked at each tool’s strengths, unique features, and weaknesses and added in pricing information and user reviews. Here’s what we determined:

• Google Analytics: Best Tool for Audience Insights
• Semrush: Best Overall Content Marketing Analytics Platform
• Clarity: Best Software for Behavior-Focused Analytics
• Simple Analytics: Best Analytics Tool for Beginners
• SE Ranking: Best Platform for Local Search Analytics
• DYNO Mapper: Best Software for Content Audits
• Google Search Console: Best Tool for Search Engine Insights
• Parse.ly: Best Analytics Platform for Publishers 
• ImpactHero: Best Software for Aligning Content With the Buyer Journey
• Fathom Analytics: Best Privacy-First Analytics Platform

Google Analytics

Best Tool for Audience Insights

We’ll lead off with a tool from the search engine giant. Google Analytics (GA) helps you understand who’s using your website and how they interact with the content. Simply place a tracking code on your site, and GA begins gathering data related to traffic, referral sources, and user engagement.  

One advantage of GA is that it provides demographic information for users logged into their Google accounts, including age, gender, and interests. The platform can also track whether users complete desired actions, such as filling in forms or making purchases. Its machine learning capabilities can look at historical data to predict customer actions and churn.

Pros

• Easy to set up
• Provides insight into user behaviors and interests
• Manages multiple properties, including apps
• Helps track return on investment
• Integrates with Google platforms, such as Search Console and Ads Manager

Cons

• Can be difficult to use
• Lacks robust customer support
• Data is aggregated, so you can’t track individual users

Special Features

While it’s easy to look at a graph and see sudden spikes or drops in data, GA’s Trend Change detection alerts you to subtle changes in the direction of your data over longer periods of time. It works by comparing a forecasted value to the actual value.

Pricing

• Free 

What We’ve Heard

“Google Analytics is the biggest name in website and mobile app intelligence. It has a steep learning curve, but it is an awesome business intelligence tool.” – Pam Baker, PC Magazine

Use Cases and Best Practices

Use GA to get an overall picture of your user journey. You can segment data by content distribution channel (search engine, social media, paid ad, email) and get nuanced insights about audience experience. For example, if people arrive on your landing page through a paid ad but aren’t converting, the ad might not match expectations, or you may need to make the offer more clear. 

Semrush

Best Overall Content Marketing Analytics Platform

Another leader in the SEO field is Semrush. Its comprehensive suite of digital marketing utilities ranges from keyword research tools to AI writing assistance. It’s especially powerful for tracking keyword rankings so you can identify content that needs more visibility. You can also set up alerts if your positioning changes for specific keywords or pages and use the share of voice metric to compare your visibility with other brands in your niche.

The tool also provides insight into how users engage with your content, including page views, time spent on page, click-throughs, conversions, and return on investment.

Pros

• All-in-one digital marketing platform with reports related to search engine, pay-per-click, and social media marketing
• Vast keyword research database with insight into search volume and difficulty
• Data on organic traffic, keyword rankings, backlinks, and social media engagement
• Integrates with Google products, social networks, and tools such as Monday.com and Wix to streamline workflow

Cons

• Vast amount of tools and data can make it hard to know what information is relevant
• Provides historical data only when you upgrade to Guru or Business Plan
• May be costly for some businesses

Special Features

Semrush’s On-Page SEO tracker analyzes your content and provides concrete ideas to improve organic traffic. The suggestions relate to content readability and helpfulness, as well as SEO factors, such as backlinks, technical issues, and user experience.

Pricing

• Pro: $129.95 monthly
• Guru: $249.95 monthly
• Business: $499.95 monthly
• 7-day free trial available

What We’ve Heard

“Semrush is used by both our marketing team and our editorial team. [Our] marketing team uses Semrush for paid and earned marketing research, competitive analysis, and tracking performance. Our editorial team uses multiple research and writing tools that help them make decisions about SEO.” – Melissa D. Cooper, TrustRadius review

Use Cases and Best Practices

Use Semrush for all stages of content marketing, including keyword research, competitor analysis, and content creation. You can then monitor your content’s performance in the SERPs, social media reach, and most visited pages to assess how well your content attracts audiences.

Microsoft Clarity

Best Software for Behavior-Focused Analytics

Your website metrics reflect how well you’re attracting traffic and the URLs your audiences are visiting, but what do users do when they’re actually on a page? Clarity uses advanced heat maps and session recordings to reveal how audiences interact with content on a page level. You can see where they click, how far they scroll before abandoning a page, and whether they click to another page but quickly return to the one they’re on. Best of all, Clarity is free.

Pros

• Shows which areas of a page generate the most interaction
• Identifies where users get frustrated
• Records all sessions, not just a sampling
• Filters data by location, browser, campaign, or session duration
• Integrates with Shopify, Weebly, Wix, WordPress, Squarespace, and Unbounce

Cons

• Data is only retained for 30 days
• Can’t segment audiences
• Only provides click-and-scroll heat maps, not movement heat maps

Special Features

Clarity’s session recordings let you watch anonymized recordings to see how users navigate your web pages and when they abandon them. You can also detect issues, such as rage clicks — elements they try to click that aren’t links — and page errors. In addition to individual recordings, you can view a heat map aggregation.

Use these insights to fine-tune your content for better engagement. For example, if users aren’t scrolling deep into a page, revise your content to put more relevant information at the beginning. If they drop off without converting, consider a stronger call to action or more prominent buttons.

Pricing

• Free

What We’ve Heard

“Knowing how and where your user interacts most on your page gives you another level of on-page content and call-to-action optimization. Why have your best banner ads or action buttons in areas that turned out to be dead-space?” Olaf S., review on G2

Use Cases and Best Practices

For more powerful insights, connect Clarity to Google Analytics. This lets you view data on both platforms. You can watch playback links of relevant segments right in GA or check metrics from GA while you’re in Clarity.

Simple Analytics

Best Analytics Tool for Beginners

Like its name implies, Simple Analytics gets right to the point. Its straightforward user interface presents key metrics clearly. You can quickly monitor traffic, where your visitors come from, and the content they engage with.

Simple Analytics is also a privacy-first content analytics platform that doesn’t store personal data, which means you don’t need cookie banners on your site. Its lightweight script minimizes impact on your site speed. Because the tool doesn’t collect data, it doesn’t use machine learning or predictive analytics.

Pros

• Simplifies how you access data
• Measures traffic, referrals, top pages, page views, and time on page; and monitors devices, browsers, and countries
• Allows you to segment data to get a detailed picture of site visitors
• Provides AI chat for analytics questions
• Offers responsive customer support
• Imports data from Google Analytics

Cons

• Not as robust as other tools, but new utilities continue to roll out

Special Features

The tool’s AI chat helps you access your data more easily. Instead of trying to read reports and charts, for example, you can ask analytics questions in real time. For example, you can prompt the AI tool to compare traffic for different time periods or create a pie chart breaking down referral sources. The AI chat can also answer questions about using the tool’s features, which may be easier than searching the documentation.

Pricing

• Starter: $9 monthly
• Business: $49 monthly
• Enterprise: Contact for pricing
• Free 14-day trial

What We’ve Heard

“It’s good to have raw data of the visits in the website and easy to implement the tracker/events. Also, it is really fast to adapt for those who [have] already used Google Analytics.” – Mateus A., GetApp review

Use Cases and Best Practices

Set up goals in the platform to determine if your content achieves key metrics or encourages conversions. A goal can be a certain amount of time spent on a page or an increase in free trials, for example. You can then use the Goal Tracker to monitor your progress and adjust your content if you’re falling short of your objectives.

SE Ranking

Best Platform for Local Search Analytics

SE Ranking may be a good fit if you’re looking for a straightforward tool to track search performance and optimize pages to boost visibility. Like Semrush, it provides keyword research, SEO monitoring, AI content creation, and on-page SEO tools.

Pros

• Daily ranking updates
• Website audit for technical issues and Core Web Vitals
• Recommendations to improve content for relevance and user experience
• Insight into keyword density, word count, and readability metrics
• SERP analysis of competitors
• Easy-to-use interface

Cons

• Costs extra for some tools, even if you have a subscription
• Keyword database isn’t as large as some other tools
• Doesn’t track on-site metrics, such as page views, time spent on page, or session duration

Special Features

Although it’s an add-on, SE Ranking’s Local Marketing tool is worth mentioning. This tool is ideal for finding effective keywords and tracking rankings across multiple locations. You can see what search terms customers use to determine where you need to optimize your content. You can also manage reviews and check listings in different directories to improve local visibility.

Pricing

• Essential: $44 monthly (Local Marketing add-on is $5.60 monthly)
• Pro: $87.20 monthly (Local Marketing add-on is $38.40 monthly)
• Business: $191.20 monthly (Local Marketing add-on is $144.80 monthly)

What We’ve Heard

“This all-in-one platform helps me view the bigger picture for analytics when it comes to web traffic and really understand how my clients’ sites are doing. I like that I can easily audit websites, add keywords and competitors, and then identify weak areas within their backlinking.” Hillary Glaser, TrustPilot review

Use Cases and Best Practices

SE Ranking monitors your performance on Google, Bing, Yahoo, YouTube, Google Maps, and Google Ads. You can identify content that needs improvement and make data-informed decisions based on backlinks, competitor results in the SERPs, and your site’s on-page SEO.

DYNO Mapper

Best Software for Content Audits

Before you can optimize your website, you need to understand its current structure. This can be challenging if you’ve been adding to your site ad hoc over the years. DYNO Mapper crawls and maps your site and provides you with a detailed inventory of its content assets. Once you have an overview of your catalog, you can begin pinpointing areas for improvement and filling in content gaps.

Pros

• Generates an interactive visual sitemap
• Catalogs subdomains, pages, images, videos, documents, and other files
• Audits your site for broken links, errors, and duplication in metadata
• Tracks keyword position in Google, Yahoo, and Bing
• Tests for accessibility issues

Cons

• Lacks concrete recommendations for improving search rankings
• No AI-powered insights or content creation tools

Special Features

DYNO Mapper integrates with Google Analytics. This lets you view important data on each page of your site map, such as sessions, users, page views, pages per session, bounce rate, and average session duration. It also pulls in your content inventory so you can see what assets are on each page. 

Pricing

• Lite: $39 monthly, billed annually
• Pro: $49 monthly, billed annually
• Standard: $99 monthly, billed annually
• Organization: $360 monthly, billed annually

What We’ve Heard

“Being able to see the sitemap visually allows everybody to see in a much clearer way how the site manages content. Premium features are great for SEO / Content Managers. Seeing keywords and pageviews is quite useful.” – Daniel R., G2 review

Use Cases and Best Practices

DYNO Mapper helps you visualize how your content is organized for search engines and users. Analyze the sitemap to ensure your site is logically structured for indexing and navigation. Then, use the inventory list to manage your content — check which URLs are ranking, ensure pages are relevant and up to date, and search your existing content before creating new pieces. 

Google Search Console

Best Tool for Search Engine Insights

Google Search Console (GSC) ensures your pages are crawled and indexed so they appear in the SERPs. The tool measures search performance, such as rankings, impressions, and clicks. It also helps troubleshoot problems that can affect your search presence. 

Pros

• Monitors changes in keyword position
• Measures your site’s technical health through Core Web Vitals
• Alerts you to crawl errors, manual penalties, and broken links
• Integrates with Google Analytics

Cons

• Data takes a few days to appear in GSC
• Historical data is limited to 16 months

Special Features

Your content won’t appear in the SERPs if issues prevent Googlebot from crawling it. GSC’s Page Indexing Report gives you a count of your total indexed and non-indexed pages. Regularly monitor this report to check for pages that aren’t crawled and why. Once you fix the issues, you can ask Google to try crawling it again to ensure your site has visibility.  

Pricing

• Free

What We’ve Heard

“This is the only truly reliable source of data for performance in Google’s organic search, from search impressions to a breakdown of countries where search users come from. This allows a site owner to better optimize their site’s content and structure to improve organic rankings, and increase click-through rates.” – Josh Bender, TrustRadius review

Use Cases and Best Practices

While you can use GSC as a standalone tool for tracking keyword position and visibility in the SERPs, you get more data when linking Search Console to Google Analytics. This combined data gives you access to Search Console’s Insights report, which is a snapshot of your overall content performance. It shows at a glance which pages are most successful, what audiences search for before they visit your site, and which websites refer visitors to your domain. You can also track the performance of newly published content.

Parse.ly

Best Analytics Platform for Publishers 

Parse.ly analyzes website metrics from the perspective of content performance, making it an ideal tool for content marketers and media sites. The tool tracks user engagement with content in a variety of ways, including by topic, section, author, campaign, channel, and publication date. As a bonus, it also promotes itself as an analytics platform that doesn’t require a data analyst to use. The easy-to-use platform allows you to focus your energies on your content strategy. 

Pros

• Tracks page views, unique visitors, engaged time, and conversions
• Offers geo-segmentation for insight into content preferences of international audiences
• Segments users by group, such as subscribers and members
• Tags content automatically using AI
• Provides video analytics to gauge the success of embedded videos and video topics
• Intuitive and easy to use

Cons

• Historical data is available for only 13 months
• Pricing isn’t available on website

Special Features

Parse.ly leverages data aggregation, predictive analytics, and machine learning to help you identify content trends. You can determine the metrics that indicate a trend — page views or conversions, for example. You can also set the time frame for monitoring the trend, such as months, days, or even half-hour intervals. Parse.ly alerts you when it detects a trend so you can act on it.

Pricing

• Three different plans are available, but you must book a demo to learn about pricing

What We’ve Heard

“Parse.ly allows us to dive into articles categorized by tags, as well as authors, and see not only traffic but where that traffic is being referred from, e.g., Google, AMP, and social networks. All of this gives a better indication of how to respond both to the performance of singular articles and on a wider scale.” – Alice Marshall, Trust Radius review

Use Cases and Best Practices

Use Parse.ly to dig deeper into traditional metrics, such as page views and time spent on a site. The tool puts the metrics in the context of content types and audience segments. For example, you might compare content read by new visitors to content read by returning visitors. These insights can inform your content production process so you can create more relevant content.

Parse.ly’s Content Conversions tool also helps you better determine the ROI of your content. You can specify events to track, such as sign-ups, downloads, or purchases, and attribute them to your content. For example, you can track the last page a user visited before they completed an action.  

ImpactHero

Best Software for Aligning Content With the Buyer Journey

An effective content strategy provides audiences with the exact information they’re looking for at each stage of their path to purchase. ImpactHero helps you plan content according to the buyer journey. It monitors how well your content performs and uses AI to help you improve it. This tool is powered by Semrush and can be used as part of the SEO platform or a standalone. 

Pros

• Streamlines analytics for content teams
• Provides automated distribution of content according to funnel stage
• Shows where users are abandoning your site so you can refine the content
• Measures impact of content on conversion
• Provides AI-generated recommendations to improve content effectiveness at each stage

Cons

• Price may be costly for many businesses

Special Features

Using artificial intelligence, ImpactHero maps your customer journey to help you visualize how users interact with your site. It breaks down performance by content types, such as lists, tutorials, questions, and guides. You can also segment by traffic sources to see which channels provide the most engagement.

Pricing

• $200 monthly
• Free trial available

What We’ve Heard

“ImpactHero helps us measure results and pivot to ensure we’re accomplishing what we’ve set out to do — engage and convert website visitors. We can now see the complete content user journey and identify new ways to convert website visitors.” – Debra B. McCraw, ImpactHero review

Use Cases and Best Practices

One of the most useful ways to leverage the platform is to choose a funnel stage: content that attracts visitors (attraction), content that keeps visitors on the site and builds loyalty (impact), and content that inspires action (conversion). You can then analyze metrics such as traffic, engagement, bounce rate, leads, and conversions. ImpactHero’s algorithms suggest ways to optimize content for each stage to help you build a cohesive overall strategy.

Fathom Analytics

Best Privacy-First Analytics Platform

Fathom Analytics positions itself as an alternative to Google Analytics. Like Simple Analytics, it delivers key website data, such as traffic, views, referral sources, and conversions, focusing on ease of use. It also emphasizes digital privacy, tracking website usage without collecting personal data, such as IP addresses. Fathom is compliant with many privacy laws, including GDPR and CCPA.

Pros

• Blocks bots, scrapers, and spam for more accurate data
• Anonymizes data without the use of cookies
• Tracks conversions, such as sales, clicks, and sign-ups
• Imports historical Google Analytics data and saves it indefinitely
• Provides email reports so you can share information easily with colleagues

Cons

• Doesn’t provide keyword rankings or SEO analysis
• Lacks AI optimization
• May not have enough functionality for some businesses

Special Features

Fathom’s defining feature is its simplicity: a single-page dashboard that gives you an overall picture of your site performance. You can see key metrics for any time period, including visitors, views, bounce rate, event completions, average time on site, referring sources, browsers, devices, and countries. 

To drill into details, click on the elements you’re interested in. For example, you can filter data to learn about visitors from Reddit on mobile devices from the United Kingdom. You can add up to 10 filters.

Pricing

• $15 monthly for up to 100,000 data points (page views and events)
• Tiered pricing based on monthly data points
• 30-day free trial

What We’ve Heard

“Simple user interface, no GDPR banners required, easy light-weight loading script, privacy-focused, and I own the data!” – Jess J. review on G2

Use Cases and Best Practices

While Fathom’s single-screen dashboard lets you see common metrics, such as traffic and top pages, at a glance, you can customize data by setting up events. These are specific actions that provide insight into how customers are interacting with your content. 

You can track form submissions, free trials, and purchases. You can even track different clicks to see what users are more drawn to. Do they use breadcrumb or sidebar navigation? Are they clicking through slideshows? Downloading PDFs?  

Content Analytics Tools Overview

Drive Your Business Forward With Content Analytics Tools

Content analytics tools are an essential part of modern content strategies, helping you gather intelligence to make informed decisions. Bolstered by AI and machine learning, these platforms are increasingly more powerful, guiding you to your audiences with precision.

Now is the time to incorporate these tools into your workflow if you want to gain a competitive edge. According to a study by Adobe, just 37% of underperforming organizations have the data they need to understand their customers, while 61% of leading organizations are already putting data to work. The sooner you can leverage analytics in your content strategy, the greater advantage you’ll have over your competitors.

Crowd Content can help you translate your data insights into finely tuned content that’s optimized for search visibility, appeals to readers, and propels your business toward its goals. Contact us today to learn more about our SEO content writing services.

The post Content Analytics Tools for Data-Driven Insights appeared first on Crowd Content - Blog.

Brand voice is the personality of your business. It can be professional, quirky, friendly, or even inspirational. It transforms a simple message into something customers feel was written just for them.

Tone, on the other hand, builds upon your voice. Think of how a person’s personality changes subtly to reflect the environment around them. Your brand’s tone does the same. It adjusts your company’s voice to fit the medium, mood, and goal.

Voice and tone are two integral parts of your communication strategy, and you need to master both to captivate your audience.

Understanding Brand Voice and Tone

Your marketing efforts are more successful when your content resonates with customers. This is where the concepts of brand voice and tone come into play.

Your voice is your choice of language, the pacing and rhythm of your communication, how you use humor, and even the ways you tell a story. Does your business use formal words or slang? Do you inject wit into your content or just stick to the facts? What about the use of metaphors?

Major companies build their voices around both the identities they wish to forge and the audiences they target. Here are some noteworthy brand voice examples to illustrate this point:

• Apple: Apple is bold, confident, and direct, but it’s also friendly. While it usually avoids humor, the brand adds warmth to messaging by referring to itself and its audience inclusively as us. Company communications highlight Apple’s innovation by stressing how its products are unique or better.

• Nike: Nike strives to be that friend who inspires and encourages you. Beginning with the iconic “Just Do It” slogan, the brand uses motivational language and an empowering, confident tone.

• Disney: Disney wants to make its audience feel childlike wonder with innocent and whimsical messaging. It uses magical and surreal wording while focusing on universal, inclusive themes such as love and friendship.

The Importance of Brand Voice in Marketing

You need a unique brand voice in marketing because your brand’s voice helps you:

• Differentiate your business: Most markets are crowded, and new technology continues to lower entry barriers. What you say and how you say it can make your brand more memorable than others.
• Build trust and credibility: Credibility affects business performance in many ways, from convincing new customers to try your products to ranking higher on Google.
• Maintain consistency across platforms: Whether you’re speaking to your audience through your business blog or a YouTube video, the way you communicate should remain consistent. It’s challenging to do this without having a defined brand voice.

A distinct voice helps you connect with your audience. It’s also your ticket to higher engagement and smooth communication.

Enhanced audience engagement

Engaged customers are 90% more likely to buy something. Better yet, they’re five times more likely to shop exclusively from your brand in the future.

Engage your customers by adjusting your brand voice to relate to them.

More effective communication

A well-defined brand voice creates engaging messaging and helps your business convey ideas easily. That’s because your brand voice caters to your audience.

If your audience needs complex jargon broken down into simple terms, be the company that does this. Shape your voice around being informative and approachable to limit the potential for confusion.

Different Types of Tones

Tone of voice is somewhat subjective, but there are ways to use it, making branded communication more straightforward and consistent.

One method used in marketing is the Nielsen Norman Group’s Four Dimensions of Tone of Voice framework.

• Formal vs. casual: Should you use formal or laidback language?
• Respectful vs. irreverent: Should communications show respect or be more edgy and playful?
• Enthusiastic vs. matter-of-fact: Is speaking with passion and energy okay, or should messaging stick to the facts?
• Funny vs. serious: Is it okay to use humor, or should communications remain serious?

You can also approach brand voice by orienting it to common tones used in marketing that fit E-E-A-T guidelines:

• Motivational tone: Prioritizes language that inspires and encourages, driving customers to make purchases or complete other actions
• Serious tone: Avoids humor and slang to give your brand an image of authority and expertise when talking about research or world events
• Conversational tone: Speaks like a friend to help inform and guide your audience, building trust
• Professional tone: Conveys credibility and authority through straightforward and polite language

Catering tone to your goals and audience

When targeting a specific goal, consider your audience and work backward. For example, LinkedIn uses a professional tone, avoiding complex language and whimsical metaphors to appeal to its B2B audience.

In contrast, Old Spice has targeted a young audience in recent years, using humor and wit in advertisements. The brand uses bold, catchy phrases juxtaposed with quirky characters, such as Old Spice Man, to project a lighthearted image.

Think about what tone best suits your image and goals while connecting with your audience.

Challenges in Developing a Consistent Brand Voice

Maintaining a consistent brand voice can be more complex than developing proper tone, especially as your business grows. Common challenges include:

• New brand managers, writers, and social media professionals
• Expansion of product and service offerings
• Diversification across new social media channels

New contributors

How well new contributors maintain your brand’s voice depends mainly on training and resources. You can give new hires and freelancers the tools they need to succeed by providing comprehensive training and ensuring they know who to contact if questions arise.

It’s also essential to create brand voice guidelines that outline the language and tone contributors should use when writing communications for your business.

New products and services

You can’t always market all products the same way, especially if you’re targeting several demographics, which requires adjusting your brand voice accordingly.

For example, if you normally sell to consumers but release a product for the B2B market, let your content creators know how to adapt your voice to fit a B2B audience while retaining your identity.

New social media channels

It’s easy to forget how to maintain your brand’s voice when creating content for social media channels. What works for a blog post won’t necessarily feel natural in an Instagram post or TikTok video.

To overcome this challenge, give specific recommendations to match each platform and regularly review the cohesiveness of blogs, social media posts, advertisements, and videos using a formal process.

Crafting the Right Tone for Different Marketing Situations

Brand voice needs to be consistent, but you should adjust aspects such as tone to suit specific marketing scenarios and improve the effectiveness of your copy. As you enhance engagement, your audience is more likely to follow through with intended actions, such as clicking links or subscribing to your email newsletter.

You can adapt your tone to any situation by following these simple steps:

1. Analyze your audience.
2. Adjust to the content type.
3. Review and optimize.

If you market to several demographics, you may need to use various tones of voice.

For example, Old Spice transforms its image from that of an old-fashioned brand by using an energetic and irreverent tone when marketing its newer product lines. This change in tone played a crucial role in “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” campaign, where fast-paced and surreal scenarios appealed to younger adults accustomed to internet humor.

A change in tone also helped Airbnb weather the COVID pandemic. The brand used language with a community focus, stressing safety, to help comfort customers and put their minds at ease.

To achieve similar success to these major brands, consider how the following factors apply to your audience:

• Cultural perspectives
• Values and desires
• Demographics and psychographics

Record everything you know about your audience to construct a detailed customer persona. Initially, you should base your brand’s tone of voice on this persona,, customizing it slightly for each communication channel.

For example, TikTok audiences resonate with humor, slang, and memes, while people on LinkedIn prefer a more professional tone. The motives for using specific social media platforms flow through to audience expectations.

Lastly, always track engagement metrics such as view time, click-through rates, likes, and shares. Whenever you tweak your brand’s voice or tone, use this data to gauge the effect.

Integrating Brand Voice and Tone Into Content Strategy

Your brand’s voice intertwines with your content strategy, and you should integrate guidelines for voice and tone into all aspects of content planning.

So, how do you do this? Ensure you have the following essentials:

Brand style guide

Make your style guide the definitive source of information for anyone who plans, writes, edits, or reviews your content. Your guide should contain detailed information about the voice and tone expectations for various types of content.

Content creators will find it easier to understand your brand voice when you give clear examples rather than simply use descriptive language. List specific words and phrases you like, and link to examples of completed blogs or social media posts matching your requirements.

You can also refer to specific public figures or fictional characters to provide examples of the messages and tones you want to convey to help writers understand your voice requirements.

Brand voice chart

A brand voice chart is another effective tool that aids content strategy. It lists the qualities of your voice alongside columns that provide descriptions, things to do, and things to avoid.

You can use separate charts for each communication channel for more detailed guidance.

SEO considerations that affect voice and tone

Your brand’s voice and tone should match your audience and goals, but you should also consider SEO strategy. 

One key consideration is Google’s E-E-A-T guidelines, which stress the need for content that displays experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness. Consider how you can match these guidelines through your voice and the information you provide.

You should also consider how to integrate keywords and other metadata into content. Match keywords to your brand voice where possible so the audience these keywords attract is closer to your target customer. Assess the user intent — transactional, commercial, navigational, or informational — and adapt your voice to ensure you deliver what your audience wants.

Tools for maintaining consistency

Other tools you can use to maintain consistency include:

• Content management systems 
• Voice and tone-tracking software, such as Grammarly Business
• Social media management platforms, such as Hootsuite
• Collaboration tools, such as Asana
• Generative AI, such as ChatGPT

Step-by-Step Guide to Developing Your Brand Voice

Developing the perfect brand voice doesn’t mean you need to reinvent the wheel. Just follow these steps:

1. Define your brand’s core values and personality

What does your brand stand for? What’s its mission? Summarize this information into one sentence and use that sentence to define your business’ personality.

For example, LEGO’s mission is to inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow. Its personality, stemming from that mission, is playful, creative, and educational.

2. Analyze your audience

Get to know your audience. Create a profile with basic information, such as their age range, location, and interests, alongside the needs you can target and pain points to avoid.

For example, Tesla’s audience is tech-savvy and cares about the environment, so the brand’s communication highlights innovation and eco-friendliness.

3. Create a brand voice chart

Create a basic voice chart based on five adjectives that describe your brand while matching your mission and audience. For example: friendly, authoritative, informative, whimsical, and energetic.

Provide descriptions and examples that illustrate how to translate each adjective into the voice and make a list of things writers should or shouldn’t do, to offer further guidance.

4. Develop content guidelines

Construct a detailed style guide. Ensure you include instructions for various platforms and contexts so content creators know how to match voice, tone, and style to any situation.

5. Implement training procedures

Put training and workshops in place to help your team learn how to use your brand voice effectively.

You also need a review process to check adherence to voice guidelines. For smaller companies, one editor may handle this task.

Larger companies or those that target multiple communication channels may need to simplify these reviews through a dedicated QA team and a standardized review process.

6. Optimize

Your voice should be consistent but never completely set in stone. Always be open to optimization. Use tools such as Google Analytics to track engagement metrics and run occasional A/B tests to assess how subtle changes in brand voice versus brand tone affect engagement.

Using Technology and Tools for Brand Voice Consistency

Technology drives innovation while making many tasks easier, and this is particularly true for communication. You can leverage several tools to match the tones of voice you’d like to target or ensure content maintains a consistent brand voice. Here are some of the best tools:

• ChatGPT: ChatGPT and other large language models can generate content matching tone and voice examples or guidelines. It can also scan content to assess if the voice and tone match a brand’s target audience, but the power of these AI tools extends much further. When training a GPT model to your brand’s style, you can assess large volumes of content to ensure it matches voice requirements, automating part of your review process.
• Grammarly Business: Most people know Grammarly for its spelling and grammar checks, but the platform also lets you select various tone and style settings. Doing so helps ensure content matches your brand voice and remains consistent.

• Acrolinx: Acrolinx provides similar capabilities to Grammarly but also includes a more extensive generative AI tool to help match style guidelines while scaling up content creation.
• Hootsuite: Hootsuite lets you manage most social media accounts from one platform, ensuring consistent communications. The platform includes engagement tools that optimize your brand voice to match specific social media platforms, and you can also use the OwlyWriter AI feature to discover new content ideas or create posts

• Asana: Asana is a project management tool. While it doesn’t assess or improve brand voice directly, it makes these processes (as well as content creation and publishing) easier for everyone involved by implementing a collaborative workflow.
• SurveyMonkey: Direct insights from your audience are invaluable for optimizing your brand voice. SurveyMonkey is one of the tools you can use to determine whether your communications resonate with customers. You can also survey your audience for future content ideas or website-user-experience improvements.

Future Trends in Brand Voice and Tone

Brand voice reflects your business’ personality, but it’s also a product of the marketing environment. Shifts in the environment readily change how brands communicate. Here are some trends we’ve noticed:

• Desire for personalization and humanization: People increasingly favor brands with conversational, empathetic tones. They also seek personalized customer service — a shift partly driven by the uptick of AI chatbots.
• Emphasis on authenticity and transparency: People prefer open and honest businesses, and many brands now follow this trend. For example, Patagonia now discusses its manufacturing processes and environmental impact through “The Footprint Chronicles” to improve transparency.

New technologies

Shifts in consumer sentiment aren’t the only thing affecting the marketing landscape. Businesses are also adapting their brand voice through the power of new technologies. The most noteworthy include:

• Augmented and virtual reality: AR and VR enable more vibrant communication between businesses and customers. For example, Patrón Tequila uses VR to give distillery tours. The immersive visuals breathe life into the brand’s storytelling, reinforcing its voice.

• AI and machine learning: Advances in AI and machine learning help businesses adapt their voice and tone to specific situations. These technologies also enable personalized real-time communications. For example, Amazon’s Alexa provides targeted information and shopping recommendations through the brand’s helpful, friendly voice.

Don’t miss out on opportunities to communicate with your customers in newer and more personalized ways than your competitors have done. Invest in emerging technology now, and always keep an eye on the horizon, because things can change in an instant.

Discover Expertise to Elevate Your Voice

Mastering brand voice and tone sets you on the right path to establishing strong relationships with your audience and becoming a household name like Coca-Cola or Microsoft. However, consistency is essential.

Integrating your voice into your content strategy is essential to ensure communication matches your brand’s personality, whether you’re reaching out to customers through an email or a Facebook post. It is also important  to follow SEO best practices.

If you don’t have the time to create detailed style guides and project briefs or refine the nuances of your brand messaging, we’ve got you covered. Look into our content strategy services. We can refine your brand’s personality, creating impactful messaging that resonates with your audience and grows your online presence. Our comprehensive services include everything from planning to streamlined production to help you dominate content marketing in every area. 

The post Mastering Brand Voice and Tone for Dynamic Marketing 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.

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Readers want information they can trust, and Google wants to give it to them. In fact, Google’s manual raters specifically look for elements of experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness — the E-E-A-T guidelines — when evaluating page and website quality.

How do you use SMEs to insert this kind of credibility into your content? It requires getting a feel for their professional experience and discovering if it’s compatible with your niche market. We’ve prepared 16 targeted questions to guide your interview.

Preparing for the Interview

So, you know you need a SME to build authority and create content that tops the search results. But how do you go about finding prospective experts within your niche?

Identifying your ideal SME

Finding the ideal SME will depend on the type of content you’re providing, your goals, and what expertise is most valuable to your audience. Here are some valuable resources you can use to find these experts:

• Networking sites such as LinkedIn
• Professional associations
• Academic institutions
• Consulting firms
• Social media
• Industry publications

Pre-interview research essentials

Once you have a short list of business-relevant experts, be thorough during the selection process, as interviewing SMEs takes a lot of time and research. You want to avoid discovering halfway through the process that someone simply isn’t a good fit for your needs.

That’s where pre-interview research comes in. Do it right, and you’ll avoid headaches later. At the bare minimum, you should check the following details before approaching a SME for further discussion:

• Check audience alignment: Does the SME resonate well with your target audience? SMEs aren’t merely a source of knowledge. Just look at how science communicator Bill Nye enchants audiences — the right SME can turn an average article into high-ranking content filled with insights.
• Evaluate past work:  Your SME should have a body of work you can examine. Read through their documents and listen to past public speaking engagements so you have a clear understanding of  their experience and personality.
• Look for unique insights: A lot of web content is unoriginal or unhelpful — a problem Google seeks to fix with updates such as Helpful Content. SMEs who provide a unique perspective are a gold mine in today’s search landscape. As digital marketing pioneer Ann Handley says, “In a sea of mediocre content, a brave tone can be a big differentiator.”

Crafting Effective Subject Matter Expert Interview Questions

Eventually, you’ll need to interview your SMEs to explore the depth of their knowledge. However, there’s a right and wrong way to go about this.

For example, asking questions that yield simple yes or no answers won’t reveal much, so stick to open-ended questions when possible. You should also frame your questions neutrally if the potential for bias is a concern. Often, the best types of questions are the ones that prompt your SME to reveal personal or professional anecdotes, as this highlights the kind of personal experience and authority Google loves.

Sample SME interview questions by category

One of the easiest ways to plan your interview is by organizing questions into categories. Through these categories, you can learn more about an expert’s background, while leading the interview and staying on topic.

While it’s essential to adjust your questions based on the specific content and goals, the following list provides a solid foundation for most purposes.

Background and experience

1. What drew you to your field?

Discover what’s interesting about a specific subject through this question. This may help you tweak your content direction or learn ways to increase audience engagement.

2. Do you recall an experience that profoundly impacted your professional career?

Remember how Google prioritizes personal experience? Use this question to target Google’s E-E-A-T guidelines and meet its demand for helpful content.

3. What key lessons from your early career still influence your work today?

Learning about a subject’s foundational aspects allows you to provide relevant, valuable advice that remains evergreen.

Industry insights

4. What current trends do you find most influential in our industry?

Clean and simple — this question will empower you to make bold, accurate claims about the future of your industry, showcasing authority.

5. How do you see customer expectations or needs evolving in our industry?

In a 1989 interview with Inc. magazine, Steve Jobs said, “You can’t just ask customers what they want and then try to give that to them. By the time you get it built, they’ll want something new.” Your SME offers a unique perspective into customer psychology, so make sure you benefit from it.

6. What emerging technologies or methodologies excite you the most?

Want to provoke thought and fascinate your audience? Talking about future technologies is sure to do it.

7. What do you believe is the next big thing in our field?

This question lets you build trust in your audience by positioning yourself as an industry leader.

Challenges and solutions

8. What strategies do you use when confronted with challenges?

Use this question to insert practical advice into your content, improving its helpfulness.

9. Can you describe a complex issue you resolved that significantly impacted your company or industry?

Like some of our earlier recommendations, this question helps you add experience to your content. It can even lead you to valuable case studies.

10. How do you adapt problem-solving principles for interdisciplinary teams?

This question lets you add practical advice to your content to help your audience navigate collaboration — something crucial in most industries.

Personal philosophy and approaches

11. How do you stay motivated and focused in your field?

12. What approach do you take to manage your work-life balance?

13. How do you ensure continuous growth in your professional life?

Personal questions such as the ones listed above offer a unique opportunity to give your audience practical advice. This not only adds value to your content but also makes it more link-worthy, driving future growth.

Innovation and thought leadership

14. How do you cultivate a culture of innovation within your team or organization?

15. How do you see your role evolving as the industry changes?

16. What challenges do you face when introducing new ideas or changes in your industry?

These types of questions give you the information needed to craft compelling and useful leadership content. They target common pain points your audience may face, allowing you to provide the answers they seek.

During the Interview

SMEs are a wellspring of valuable insights and experience that can elevate your content and ensure that it’s helpful and engaging. However, getting to this information requires finesse.

Building rapport with SMEs

As an interviewer, it’s your job to steer the conversation in the right direction. Think of yourself as the ship’s captain. You need to navigate the vast ocean of information to find useful facts, quotes, and anecdotes.

Easier said than done, right? Well, follow these tips for a smoother interview.

• Organize things beforehand: Schedule a suitable time, choose the software you’ll use for the call, and let your expert see the questions in advance. Set up recording during the interview to ensure you have something to analyze later.
• Do your research: You can’t ask relevant questions if you don’t understand the subject. Learn as much as possible about the interview’s subject to ensure you can also ask useful follow-up questions.
• Establish common ground: Use mutual interests to build a connection with your SME and put them at ease. If you’ve had a similar experience, discuss it with them.
• Listen and acknowledge: Active listening is crucial to a good interview. Don’t just nod and agree — offer input to show you’ve understood everything and that you value the expert’s time and opinion.
• Maintain a conversational tone: A friendly, energetic tone and pace are ideal. While you need to stay on track, don’t be afraid to let your SME set the direction at times.

Mastering the art of follow-up questions

The other major challenge to a successful interview is the art of follow-up questions, knowing when and how to dive deeper.

Part of this goes back to a previous tip — doing your homework. But it’s also important to seek clarification if you don’t understand a concept. If you find something particularly insightful, build on your previous question to probe for more knowledge.

You can also approach follow-up in these targeted ways:

• Rephrase a question if the SME finds it difficult to answer.
• Ask for further information about any unfamiliar concepts or jargon.
• Ask about related topics to form links between separate ideas.
• Ask your SME to quantify or define anything ambiguous.

Post-Interview

Before you can incorporate insights from your SME into your content, you’ll need to analyze and refine the information you’ve gathered.

Analyzing SME insights

During the interview, it’s important to record everything said so you can transcribe and refer to it later. Then, approach the analysis.

1. Highlight key points, including advice, predictions, and stories.
2. Identify unique perspectives that competitors aren’t already leveraging.
3. Sort all information based on categories such as industry trends and solutions to problems.
4. Assess the information’s relevance for your audience.
5. Determine where and how you can integrate insights into your content.

Refining and integrating interview findings

After analyzing the interview, there are many ways you can refine your content and integrate insights from your SME seamlessly:

• Use quotes: A quote is a powerful way to add authority to various kinds of content. Use direct quotes for impact or paraphrase your expert’s major points to support arguments and ideas in articles, videos, and social media posts.
• Condense information: SMEs have the professional experience to cover topics in great detail. It’s often necessary to summarize and simplify some concepts so your audience finds the information approachable and easy to understand.
• Add examples: Incorporate SME anecdotes into your content as real-life examples to illustrate complex points and make your content more relatable.
• Provide comparisons: Comparing your expert’s insights with other prominent figures balances your content. However, you can also use this technique to add contrast. For example, you can use your SME’s expertise to dispel a widespread myth.

SME Interviews: Enhancing Content Quality and Engagement

Experts bring extensive knowledge and unique experiences to the table, allowing you to position your business as an authority figure in the eyes of Google. They also help you craft engaging content that visitors will love to read from beginning to end.

However, you’ll miss out on these benefits if you don’t have a way to draw out the potential of your SMEs. That’s why you need methods to vet each expert and an interview process that gets to the heart of their expertise.If you need a professional to review your content, take a look at our SME services. We’ve vetted and verified each member of our network, giving you easy access to experienced professionals and streamlined content creation.

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Crafting a page that converts is both an art and a science. You need a generous dose of creativity and a flair for design that inspires readers, supported by an analytical approach that subtly moves customers toward a goal. When you hit that optimum point, you can really drive results. Learn how to strike this delicate balance by putting best practices for creating effective landing pages to work.

Breaking Down Landing Page Structure

A landing page is a web page designed to coax visitors toward a specific action, usually attracting traffic drawn from search engines, email marketing, or social media campaigns. Visitors typically approach a landing page in two parts.

The content at the top of the page sparks interest, concisely communicating the benefits or offer, and provides a call-to-action (CTA). This content typically fits on the screen above the fold, meaning no scrolling is required to read it. As visitors scroll down, they can then access detailed information to support their decision-making, such as product features and social proof.

Check out this landing page example from Unbounce. It has a clear call-to-action (CTA) above the fold and persuasive details below the fold.

Core elements of landing page design

Your landing page should be engaging and user-friendly to compel readers to take action. Include these key elements:

• Headline: Lead the way with a catchy headline that communicates the value of your offering.
• Subhead: The subhead is a concise sentence or two providing additional context.
• Hero image or video: Reel in your reader with a striking image or embedded video to make an impactful first impression.
• Call to action: Your CTA is a prominent button, form, or link that directs visitors to take a desired action, such as “Download” or “Buy Now.” 
  
• Persuasive content: Write highly convincing content that communicates your value proposition and the benefits or features of your product. Make the content easy to skim, and consider using bullet-point lists or charts.
• Social proof: Reassure your audience of the value of your brand with testimonials, reviews, and trust symbols, such as logos of companies using your product or service.

Enhancing traditional structures with modern design

Bring the elements of your landing page together so it’s visually appealing and easy to consume. You might be inclined to cram the page with tons of information to help your reader make a decision, but if you bombard them with too much detail, it becomes harder for them to decide.

Instead, opt for a clear, intuitive layout that highlights key information and the CTA. Modern design principles work well, as white space and contrast can direct the reader’s attention. To create interest, use expressive typography in different weights and colors to set the mood. In the example below, Dropbox takes a minimalist approach that’s still highly effective.

In comparison, beauty subscription brand Boxy Charm leverages color and a hero image on its landing page. In marketing color psychology, pinks and lavenders create a soft, soothing aesthetic and are often used for beauty products. 

Adhering to SEO principles

Landing pages are often paired with email, social media, and PPC campaigns, but you can also capture audiences through search engines. Make sure your page is discoverable on Google by following best practices for SEO:

• Use keyword research tools to target search terms for ranking
• Create helpful, informative, and high-quality content
• Ensure the page loads quickly and is mobile-friendly
• Include descriptive meta titles and descriptions
• Compress images and include alt-text

Designing for Conversion: Key Elements of Effective Landing Pages

Now, how do you leverage these elements to drive readers toward a goal? Let’s look at a few strategies to design for conversion.

Crafting compelling headlines for maximum impact

The headline welcomes readers with a concise statement highlighting the value of your offering. Place the headline prominently on the page and make sure it’s simple and clear — technical terms and jargon only cloud your message. The fewer words you use to convey your message, the better. You can use  a subheader that provides more context or elaboration to complement the headline.

To grab the reader’s attention, try:

• Creating energy with action verbs
• Posing a question that invites them to discover the answer
• Teasing a benefit to spark curiosity (but get to the point ASAP)
• Using numbers and statistics for credibility

Check out Proof’s landing page — the headline is incredibly simple, uses action-oriented wording, and promises tangible results that are pretty hard to turn down. Notice it’s accompanied by a clear call to action and social proof.

The role of visuals in conversion optimization

Visuals make a landing page more enticing and exciting by reinforcing your headline message and evoking an emotional response in your customer. Let’s look at a landing page for Trusted Housesitters, a platform that connects pet lovers with pet owners who need someone to care for their furry companions. The image on this page appeals to both target audiences. It emphasizes the joy in caring for a pet while assuring pet owners that their pets are in good hands while they’re away. This page also uses social proof, descriptive CTAs, and a down arrow directing users to scroll to learn more.

Breather, a provider of workspaces for quiet, focused work, also has a prominent image on its landing page. The photo of a bright, airy, and empty workspace backs up the value proposition. 

If you want to step up your landing page game, consider adding a short video. According to a WyzOwl survey, 89% of people say watching a video has convinced them to buy a product or service. Videos help customers see your product in action and get a better feel for its features and benefits. You can also use customer testimonial videos as a form of social proof to drive your audience toward conversion.

Writing irresistible CTAs

The call to action is a critical element of your landing page, allowing your reader to take you up on your offer. Make it easy for them to complete the action.

• Positioning: Place your CTAs strategically. CTAs should be placed above the fold for those who have done their research and are ready to take action and should be placed at the end of each section for those who need a little more persuasion. “You never know where a user will pause or how far they’ll go,” Cassandra Parsons, VP of Operations at ViziSites, explains in our webinar about optimizing your website for conversions.
• Prominence: Effective calls to action should be large, legible, and easy to find on the page. Use contrast to help buttons stand out and make sure they appear clickable.
• Precise wording: While your CTA should be short and sweet, it should also be descriptive and should generate excitement. Create a sense of urgency and explain exactly what the consumer gets when they click. Instead of “Get Started,” for example, try “Get 30 Days Free” to compel readers to convert.

Tailoring Landing Pages to Your Audience

Audiences are more likely to convert if your landing page aligns seamlessly with their needs. Use customer surveys, analytics data, focus groups, and market research to gather insights and tailor content to their interests and pain points.

Even within your customer base, there can be differences in needs and preferences. When analyzing data, divide your audience into segments based on factors such as age, gender, location, interests, browsing history, or purchase history. You can improve conversions by customizing landing pages and offering better user experiences for each segment.

Using audience insights to inform design choices

From your research, you should have a good picture of who’s clicking on your ad, email, or social post to get to your landing page. Stay true to your branding, but design custom pages and direct users appropriately.

Let’s say you sell outdoor gear. Some of your customers may be single, tend to lean toward outback adventures, and frequent TikTok. Others may have children, plan family camping trips, and get information from Facebook. You can customize images, messaging, and product recommendations based on lifestyle. If you have retail storefronts, you can also create a dynamic landing page based on user location and provide store-specific information. 

With dynamic content, you can also personalize messaging based on past interactions and display relevant recommendations or offers. By adapting your landing page to your audience, you’re speaking directly to their needs and interests, inspiring engagement and stronger customer relationships.

Personalization techniques for enhanced engagement

Sometimes, you can gather information right on your landing page to customize an experience. Let’s deconstruct this MailChimp landing page.

All the essential above-the-fold elements are checked off: headline, relevant copy, hero image, and trust symbol. At the bottom of the screen, readers are posed with a question: “How many contacts do you have?” Readers will receive a package suggestion based on their answer to help narrow down their choices. If readers are looking for more personalized content, they can click on “Find my plan” to the left and complete a quiz for a recommendation.

Optimizing Landing Page Performance

Just as you might fine-tune a sports car for precision and speed, you can monitor, test, and refine your landing page. Optimization requires critical attention to every aspect of your landing page structure, design, and functionality, creating a well-oiled machine that efficiently carries your reader across the finish line.

Technical optimization to retain visitors

Test your page loading time to improve user experience. Most online viewers desire and expect quick and easy experiences. If your page is running slowly, it won’t take long for most of them to bounce. Shift your site into high gear by compressing images, minifying files, and implementing browser caching to improve page speed and get your message across as quickly as possible.

Your page should also be mobile-friendly. Customers will get frustrated by buttons that are too small to tap or content that runs off their smartphone screen. Make sure your landing page works smoothly across devices and is responsive for all users.

A/B testing for data-driven design solutions

During your creative brainstorming, you likely came up with a few different headlines, visuals, and CTAs. Once your page’s basic functionality is in place, conduct A/B tests to compare variations of landing page elements. You might be surprised at which ones you think will generate a positive response compared to the ones that actually do. Analyze the performance metrics to see which version resonates best with your audience and helps you seal the deal.

Analyzing and Interpreting Landing Page Metrics

As we stated previously, landing page structure is art and  science. It’s now time to don your lab coat and use analytics to assess if your page is working the way it should.

Essential KPIs for landing page analysis

Key performance indicators (KPIs) are quantifiable measurements that help you gauge page performance. Are your visitors taking time to read your content or bouncing off right away? What percentage converts? Quality data helps you pinpoint areas of weakness so you can make data-driven decisions, improve your landing page, and get closer to your intended goals.

Here are some common KPIs to consider when evaluating landing page performance:

• Bounce rate: Bounce rate measures the percentage of visitors who leave a landing page without engaging. If you have a high bounce rate, check your page speed and mobile friendliness. Scrutinize above-the-fold content to see if your headline and image are communicating the value of your offer in a compelling way.  
• Click-through rate (CTR): CTR measures the percentage of visitors who click on a link or button on the landing page. A high CTR indicates the page successfully captures visitors’ attention and encourages them to engage further.
• Conversion rate: The conversion rate measures the percentage of visitors who complete a desired action, such as making a purchase, downloading an e-book, or signing up for a free trial. Aim to improve your conversion rate over time.
• Video views: Track whether people are engaging with your video content to determine its effectiveness. If video views are high but the conversion rate is low, the video may be too long, not interesting enough, or weak at conveying your value proposition.
• Average session duration: How long are visitors staying on the page? A longer session duration suggests visitors are engaged with the content and considering your value proposition. If they aren’t converting, you might review your CTA.

Tools and techniques for advanced analytics

Gathering the data is just the first step. It can be challenging to interpret numbers and draw meaningful conclusions when there might be multiple reasons a landing page isn’t performing. Often, you have to make incremental adjustments and continue monitoring.

Analytics tools, such as Smartlook, Hotjar, and Lucky Orange, can offer insight into customer intent and behavior. These platforms use heat maps, journey mapping, and session replay to give you an idea of how customers interact with your page. These tools can detect where users stop scrolling, how much of a form they complete, and where they try to click. This data can help put your KPIs into context, zeroing in on problem areas that are confusing or frustrating audiences so you can refine your content or design.

Mastering Landing Page Structure for Digital Success

The landing page is a critical point in the customer journey, transforming traffic into leads or customers. To maximize conversions, the key elements of a landing page must come together cohesively, including the headline, images and/or video, social proof, and CTAs. When you consider audience needs and shape page content and design according to best practices, you can nudge customers toward considering your offer and converting.

Elevate your landing pages beyond the competition with Crowd Content’s expert website content services. Discover how our team can help you enhance your landing page content for improved SEO and conversion rates. Visit Crowd Content’s website content services page today to learn more and start optimizing your digital presence for maximum success.

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Regarding  market share and competitive edge, PayPal cofounder Peter Thiel once said, “Customers won’t care about any particular technology unless it solves a particular problem in a superior way.” It’s a SaaS copywriter’s responsibility to explain to readers the solution that’s available and why that solution is paramount in every way that matters.

As business trends continue to grow, so will the weighty roles of SaaS copywriters. Here’s what you need to know about this writing subspeciality, including how you can hire a SaaS copywriter or succeed in the niche as a freelancer yourself.

SaaS Copywriter vs. B2B SaaS Copywriter

SaaS copywriting takes a broader approach to content creation, reaching out to individual users and corporations. A single piece of content will have multiple applications — using universal language and focusing on how the software at hand can solve common pain points that exist across user segments.

A B2B SaaS copywriter jettisons more general terminology and messaging in favor of a narrowed scope. Pieces created with B2B in mind tend to speak to a specific audience or even a well-developed buyer persona. The writer has an intimate understanding of the client’s business challenge and can speak on a detailed level regarding how a particular SaaS solution addresses that specific problem.

Value propositions in general and SaaS copywriting

A general SaaS copywriter appeals to the masses, emphasizing how a product can help the typical user. It’s common to highlight core benefits, such as ease of use, affordability, and how well it integrates with popular apps and software.

For B2B copywriting, the value proposition is more metric-based. Business owners want to know how the SaaS solution will influence outcomes, such as ROI and customer conversion rates, as well as internal processes, such as cross-departmental collaboration and productivity.

Language and tone

General SaaS copywriting tends to be more conversational, making it easier for the average person to understand tech concepts and software specs. B2B SaaS copywriters speak to a more analytical audience — start-up founders and marketing managers are often more receptive to a professional pitch that’s less casual.

Understanding the Need for a SaaS Copywriter

SaaS products are often technically complex, with a laundry list of features that must be conveyed accurately without overwhelming readers. Software may be updated frequently, and  the tech sector is always changing. Thus a strong SaaS copywriter must be agile and dedicate non-writing time to staying current and getting to know recent innovations.

Businesses must consider the following when looking for a talented SaaS copywriter:

• Differentiation: It’s not enough for a copywriter to rattle off a feature list. Conveying how features stack up in a saturated market is vital, and this requires a writer who’s adept at researching competitors, thinking critically, and building messaging that makes the client stand out.
• Onboarding: New writers need to be educated on the client’s standards and product portfolio. Doing this over and over is a major drain on resources.
• Strategic value: SaaS copywriters tend to charge more than general ghostwriters because they do more. They’re writers, but they’re also experts in conversion optimization, user experience, branding, sales techniques, and the overall intricacies of the software industry.

Identifying Your Copywriting Needs

Before you can connect with and onboard your own SaaS copywriter, you must figure out what you need from a freelancer to meet your internal goals. Consider the following questions:

• What’s your objective? Are you looking to acquire new users, boost your SERPs, introduce consumers to a new product, or something else entirely?
• Who’s your audience? Do you need a copywriter who can speak in general terms or one who knows how to dig deep into the pain points, motivations, and preferences of a select audience and shape messaging accordingly?
• What’s your USP? Your unique selling proposition sets you apart from the competition. The more specialized and nuanced your USP is, the more savvy your copywriter should be.
• What assets do you have, and what do you need to create? Businesses that are just beginning to construct a content marketing strategy probably need everything from basic website content to blog posts. More developed companies might be ready for assets that require a deeper mastery of the topics at hand — think highly persuasive content, high-converting landing pages, and in-depth user manuals.

Finding the Right SaaS Copywriter

Finding a skilled SaaS copywriter can be difficult — and finding one who suits your business’ needs can be even more challenging. In most cases, you have three options: Partner with a content marketing agency, hire an in-house writer, or contract a freelance writer directly.

Contracting directly with a freelance writer gives you a ton of freedom and skips over some of the drawbacks of onboarding a full-time hire, such as paying for benefits and providing physical office space. But an in-house writer is in a prime position to know your product, audience, and quirks inside and out.

For many companies, content agencies and content marketing platforms offer the best of both worlds. You can go fishing in an existing talent pool, using project and content briefs to educate writers and editors on your product and campaign. You can even create your own satellite team that doesn’t work directly under your corporate umbrella but is committed to creating content for you long-term.

Vetting freelance SaaS copywriters

Vet every candidate you want to seriously consider for your project. You’re looking for overall talent, industry-relevant experience, and other characteristics (e.g., a sense of humor, reliability, and a proven track record with high-converting campaigns) that align with your goals and branding.

The vetting process will be your sole responsibility unless you partner with an agency or content marketing platform. That means you’ll be interviewing prospects, checking references, looking at portfolios, assigning sample tasks, reviewing submissions, and sending out offers. That takes a lot of time, but vetting is important — this is how you avoid paying for subpar content or accidentally hiring a writer that isn’t right for B2B or SaaS content.

The Hiring Process

Once you’ve found a writer that checks all your boxes, it’s time to bring them on board. How this process unfolds depends on whether you’re contracting a freelance SaaS copywriter or partnering with an agency that already has writers on staff.

Freelancer hiring process

With each new professional relationship you have with a freelance copywriter, you’re starting from scratch. There’s a fair amount of negotiation to be done, and you’ll be discussing the following terms and conditions of your agreement.

• Project details: Now’s the time to lay out exactly what’s expected from the project. This includes the assets to be created, deadlines for each milestone, communication methods, and revision instructions.
• Payment: Freelance writers can charge whatever they want. That can include a flat fee, hourly rate, or a monthly retainer fee. You’ll need to decide when payment will take place and how it will be made (direct deposit vs. company check, for example).
• General guidelines: All clients should give their new SaaS copywriters the information they need to represent the company properly. Branding information, style guides, approved content samples, customer testimonials, case studies, and product specs are just a few of the items writers can use to get up to speed and shape custom content.
• Contracts: Sign a contract that covers availability, pricing, when content ownership transfers from the writer to the client, nondisclosure clauses, and anything else needed to protect all parties.

Agency collaboration dynamics

Collaborating with a content marketing agency or platform provides a less-personalized experience compared to working with an individual writer, but what you lose in direct access you more than make up for in scalability and streamlined operations.

Overall, you’ll follow most of the same steps listed above, but the contract involves an agency — working with the writer and you as the client. Pricing is typically standardized, according to content type, writer specialty, and/or quality level, and you’ll likely need only one contract for the length of your relationship, with addendums as needed for short-term campaigns or certain sub-clients.

The biggest difference you’ll encounter working with an agency versus working directly with a writer is a huge reduction in the effort required to scale your content program — and this applies to talent as well as clients. Crowd Content uses existing project briefs and onboarding materials to expand our clients’ writing teams in just hours. Everyone on our team is already vetted, and general agreements are already in place. Our clients can also tap into additional services such as SEO research and graphic design without starting from square one.

Content Creation Process for SaaS Content

A strong and effective content creation process is tailored to each client and project, yet it’s as templated as possible. That doesn’t mean you’ll be able to use the same process for every project, but the more standardized each element is, the easier it will be to go from concept to finished content over time.  

Crafting an effective brief for SaaS projects

Project-specific briefs are the lifeblood of quality content. Without this key document, writers are left adrift, trying to understand what the client really wants. Sometimes, the output is on target, but often, this approach leads to time-consuming revisions and shared frustration.

Content briefs replace ambiguity with step-by-step or section-by-section instructions. Your brief may include:

• A description of the project
• Project objectives
• Target audience
• Style preferences
• Milestones and deadlines
• SEO guidelines, such as primary keywords and linking opportunities
• A full outline or suggested H2 and H3 headers
• Requests for associated metadata
• Key resources

Starting actual content creation

Once the writer has a brief on hand, it’s time to kick off content creation.

• Brainstorming and research: Leverage keyword research and review SERPs to see what’s ranking and why. Use that information to begin shaping content that addresses user intent, shared pain points, existing content gaps, and potential client-related solutions.
• Drafting: Create content that includes a compelling introduction, engaging copy, and concepts that make key points as clear and impactful as possible. Note where visual elements such as images and infographics might go and use the client’s value proposition as your lodestone.
• Incorporating SEO: Include all required keywords, optimize metadata, and add backlinks to authoritative, high-value sites.
• Revising SaaS-specific content: Work should be proofed for structure and flow, as well as tone/language and SEO optimization. A/B testing can show how new content is being perceived, allowing content teams to make adjustments based on user behavior and other performance metrics.

Cost of Hiring a B2B SaaS Copywriter

The cost of hiring a B2B SaaS copywriter hinges on several factors, including the writer’s level of experience, the scope of the project, the complexity of the content, and even payment structure.

• Hourly rates: Copywriters might charge anywhere from $50 to $200-plus per hour, but don’t get too stuck on the numbers — a writer who’s new to SaaS may charge less but take far longer to create content that’s up to par, leaving you with an unexpectedly large bill compared to an experienced writer who may charge more but can finish a blog in a couple of hours.
• Word count rates: It’s common to pay by the word, but rates for specialty content, such as SaaS, are typically higher — think $.20/word at a bare minimum.
• All-in-one rates: If you collaborate with a content marketing agency, you may be able to save money by bundling services. 

Collaborate With Crowd Content for Exceptional SaaS Content

There’s more than one way to hire a B2B SaaS copywriter, but only one option helps you reach your goals faster and with less challenges. Partnering with Crowd Content gives you access to a talented team of SaaS copywriters who are pre-vetted, experienced, and ready to get to work ASAP. Whether you work directly with writers via our Marketplace or use Managed Services to take advantage of our three-step quality control process, we can help you create publish-ready content that speaks to prospects in a language they’ll understand.

For more information on hiring SaaS copywriters, become an enterprise client today.

The post How to Hire and Work With a SaaS Copywriter appeared first on Crowd Content - Blog.

In other words, what may have worked like gangbusters for your brand only a couple of years ago might not be doing the job anymore. The solution is to adapt and freshen up your approach to digital marketing with some savvy moves of your own.

In 2024, the trend is clear: organized, user-friendly websites filled with helpful content are where it’s at, and mastering the fine art of topic clusters can help keep you relevant. Here’s a closer look at what you need to know to bring your site up to speed with a killer topic cluster strategy of your own.

Understanding Topic Clusters

Also sometimes referred to as content clusters, topic clusters are organized groups of web pages with a centralized theme in common.

Each individual topic cluster has a pillar page that presents a broad introduction to a particular subject. It also includes multiple cluster pages that focus on a variety of related subtopics. For example, a cooking website might feature a pillar page on basic techniques with subtopic pages on subjects like baking, roasting, steaming, and frying.

A classic topic cluster model positions the pillar page as the primary hub on a broad topic by having it link out to each of the related cluster pages. Each cluster page then also links back to the associated pillar page.

Organizing related pages in this way and seamlessly linking them together comes with many potential benefits for a site, including the following:

Easier navigation for visitors

The more organized your site is, the easier it will be for your visitors to find what they’re looking for and explore your content further. Topic clusters turn browsing for information into an intuitive, user-friendly experience, often leading to lower bounce rates and higher engagement.

Stronger search engine optimization (SEO)

Grouping related pages together using the topic cluster approach helps signal to search engines that your pillar pages are worthy authorities on particular topics. It’s also an excellent way to potentially target a wider range of choice keywords.

Better brand authority

Well-organized authority content, high engagement rates, and top SERP (Search Engine Results Pages) rankings can help transform a brand into an industry authority over time. Imagine being the go-to source for information on your niche of choice. Well-strategized topic clusters can help you get there.

Impact of Topic Clusters on SEO Performance

The more you can do to show search engines you’re serious about providing your visitors and potential customers with a top-tier experience, the better it will be for your ongoing SEO strategy. In addition to making your site easier to use overall, topic clusters help boost your rankings by:

Improving your site’s internal linking structure

The internal linking method associated with topic clustering helps Google better understand what your site is really all about, why it’s important, and how your various pages are connected.

Effectively expanding the scope of your site

Search engines tend to favor sites with a consistent, organized structure and navigation system. A cluster-based system helps present information using a system search engines understand.

Potentially winning the trust of users, peers, and search engines

Google and the rest of the search engines are in the business of providing users with the best, most relevant possible solutions to their queries. Sites that are organized, user-friendly, helpful, and informative are more likely to provide those solutions and achieve top SERP rankings as a result.

Showing that your site digs deep into topics that are important to users

Pillar pages and related cluster pages allow you to organize vast amounts of information using a cohesive system that intuitively makes sense to your visitors. This makes it easy to efficiently deep-dive into the subjects your readers care about most on a level your competition may not be doing.

Helping Google better understand the hierarchy of your website

The better Google understands how your website is set up and how the content contained within it interconnects, the easier it will be to rank it. Clustering also provides a framework that lends itself well to establishing serious authority in a given niche.

Supporting your keyword strategy

Smart, natural keyword usage is already a huge part of climbing the SERPs. Adding topic clusters to your strategy can help you further focus your efforts and better plan future content, especially on a long-term basis.

Structuring Topic Clusters

Without a cohesive internal linking structure in place, it’s hard for a website to avoid becoming overwhelmingly complex as it grows. Over time, as the number of total pages increases, the overall structure of a site tends to get increasingly complicated.

Naturally, this complexity can make it tough for visitors to find the valuable content they’re looking for and equally challenging for search engine bots to figure out how your pages are connected.

As a result, Google may have trouble understanding which of your pages are the definitive authorities on the topics you cover. Instead of working together cohesively to earn you better rankings, your related pages might end up competing with each other, not just for search engine rankings but also for your visitors’ attention.

Topic clusters address all of these problems with a consistent, easy-to-follow structure that makes sense even at a glance, to human readers and search engines alike. Here’s a quick look at how they work:

Pillar page

Think of a topic cluster as a wheel with a fixed center and multiple spokes branching out from that center to support it. The cluster’s pillar page constitutes the center, providing a broad overview of a single key topic or subject.

Good pillar pages are general but fairly comprehensive, providing visitors with a solid introduction to the topic at hand and a good idea of where to go next for more answers.

Cluster pages

Your cluster pages form the spokes of your cluster wheel, supporting the main topic and providing visitors with additional, more targeted information on a variety of subtopics (one per cluster page).

Effective cluster pages cover their designated subtopics in detail, ideally answering common questions readers have and delivering useful, on-topic information.

Internal linking

The internal link structure of a topic cluster is the glue that holds the whole thing together and makes it functional. Pillar pages contain organized links to each related cluster page, and each cluster page links back to the pillar page in turn.

From your visitors to search engines, this setup helps everyone understand how your content is related and structured, which makes navigation a breeze.

Initiating Topic Cluster Strategy

Ready to start leveraging topic clusters to drive quality organic traffic and engage your target audience more effectively? Let’s break down the steps to create a cluster strategy that works:

Choose your main cluster topic

Every effective content cluster begins with a central theme. This is your foundation. Consider the following to settle on something that will really resonate with your target audience:

• Content you already have versus any gaps that need to be filled
• Content topics that have already worked well for you in the past
• Subjects your audience cares deeply about or actively asks about
• Topics your competitors are already covering that should also be part of your strategy

Be sure to select something expansive enough to yield multiple strong subtopics for fleshing out your cluster. It should be something that genuinely interests your audience and serves the needs of visitors.

Research compatible keywords

Remember, well-orchestrated content clusters and well-chosen keywords go hand in hand, so starting a new cluster should always include a fresh round of keyword research. How might a potential visitor query Google to find content like yours?

A solid keyword research tool like SEMRush Keyword Manager, KWFinder, or Google Keyword Planner can help you brainstorm lush groups of topics, subtopics, and target phrases using simple seed keywords as a starting point.

Organize your keywords throughout your cluster

Consider which core keywords are the best fit for your pillar page by reflecting on the search opportunity attached to each option. Here are some factors to keep in mind:

• The search intent behind each keyword (in other words, the user’s true reason for entering a particular query)
• The competition for ranking on each keyword
• The search volume for each keyword

Next, go back to your list of possibilities and select options for each of your cluster/subtopic pages. Ensure that each of your chosen subtopics realistically relates to your pillar topic, and evaluate the possibilities for search opportunity.

Knock your content out of the park

Once you’ve mapped out the skeleton of your topic cluster, it’s time to start filling it with next-level content your audience will love. Start with your pillar page, then expand on your cluster pages, taking care to include opportunities to link back to your pillar.

The fundamentals of robust content that both human readers and Google will love include:

• Readable formatting that includes headings, bulleted lists, images, etc.
• Dynamic, engaging language that fits your brand voice
• Strategically used keywords in prime places like the first paragraph and headings
• Clear, concise wording and phrasing that’s easy to digest
• Well-incorporated internal links that make the content more useful
• Something extra readers won’t be able to find on competing pages

Tools and Strategies for Topic Research

Effective topic clusters that deliver don’t simply happen. They’re the results of careful, thorough research, and the right tools (including keyword research tools) can help take the guesswork out of the process. Here are a few popular options that are well worth exploring:

BuzzSumo

You may already be using BuzzSumo in your content creation strategy, but you should know it’s perfect for brainstorming topic clusters as well. Use it to audit your existing content and identify gaps to fill. You can also leverage the Topic Explorer tool to discover potential topics related to a chosen keyword.

SEMRush

SEMRush is a full-service suite of tools that streamlines many aspects of keyword research, content creation, and organic research, among other necessities. It’s packed with useful features for topic cluster research, including Keyword Magic Tool, Topic Research Tool, Keyword Gap, and Organic Research.

SpyFu

Keeping an eye on what your competitors are doing and how your site measures up is a crucial part of staying ahead in the rankings game, and SpyFu can be quite helpful for that. Easily find out which keywords the competition is ranking for, analyze how your own strategy compares, and use the findings to brainstorm high-performance clusters.

Google Trends

This tool from Google itself is fantastic for comparing the search volume attached to different keyword options, especially over time. Use it to study and keep track of the topics that resonate with readers in your niche to better inform your content choices.

While picking topics you are passionate about is important, you definitely don’t want to sleep on what your competitors are up to. At the end of the day, SERP rankings are all about which pages best serve the user behind a particular query, and knowing where you stand is an important part of getting ahead. 

Pay attention to pages that rank ahead of yours for important target keywords, too. What are those pages doing that you’re not? Is there anything missing from comparable competitor pages that your site could do a bang-up job delivering? Use tools like these to stay on top of what competing brands are putting out there and look for ways to improve upon it.

Real-World Examples of Topic Clusters

Curious how topic clusters play out in real life when they’re well crafted? Here are some examples to get you inspired about the possibilities:

Wine Folly

Wine Folly’s expertly crafted Wine 101 hub is a prime example of a topic cluster that delivers. The pillar page covers key basics about wine concisely but informatively before leading the reader to a list of cluster page links that promise even more fascinating information. Examples include overviews of common varietals, wine-tasting tips, and breakdowns of the wine-making process.

HubSpot

HubSpot nails it with their guide on Instagram marketing. To begin with, Instagram marketing is absolutely a key topic of interest to their audience, and HubSpot covers it in detail across their pillar page. They also further support the pillar with multiple spoke topics for interested readers to explore next.

Podia

Online courses are red hot right now, and all-in-one marketing brand Podia leverages that to perfection with its comprehensive pillar page on how to build a course. The pillar page is treated as an “everything you need to know” guide with the cluster pages serving as supporting chapters, which works well for the type of content presented.

As you can see, the concept of the content cluster is pretty simple. However, that’s exactly what makes it so effective. It’s easy to adapt to any industry, niche, or business focus. It can be simple and concise or elaborate and detailed. It’s an effective approach to organizing content in appealing, attractive ways that encourage visitors to spend time on your site and dig a little deeper into available topics while they’re at it.

How could you use this approach to spotlight a favorite topic on your site better appeal to your audience?

Crafting High-Quality Content for Topic Clusters

Content is king when it comes to all aspects of increasing the authority and visibility of a website, and this is just as much the case with topic cluster content as with anything else. Here are a few quick and dirty tips for crafting content that’s a terrific fit for a cluster-based content strategy:

Conduct a thorough content audit

Whether you’re reorganizing existing content to fit a cluster-based content strategy or crafting new content to add to an existing cluster system, it’s crucial to know where you already are with your catalog. A content audit can help give you the perspective you need.

Look for existing content that can be refreshed and regrouped into effective new clusters. Address any issues with duplicate, irrelevant, or outdated content you find. Then plan content to fill in any obvious content gaps and make your clusters sing.

Consider key visitor pain points

People turn to search engines looking for answers or solutions. Some people have specific problems they’re hoping to solve, while others are simply on a mission to gather information.

Topic clusters provide rich opportunities to serve these users and show them how your products or services could help provide the solutions they’re looking for. Start by considering key pain points your target audience has and see how they align with your current clusters or be used as the basis for a new one.

Do plenty of market research

Market research is a highly effective way to get another angle on what your audience really wants to see from you. Perform a round of competitor and market research to get a solid read on what matters to your audience.

Consider getting feedback from your existing audience via surveys, social media, or questionnaires, as well. Assess how you can refine what you’ve learned about your readers into rock-solid content that resonates.

Hire experts to help

Crafting a top-notch, informative content that’s ideal for content clusters is a tall order, especially if you need to create a lot of it to meet your goals. It’s probably not the kind of thing you’ll be able to tackle all on your own, so consider assembling a team of professionals to help you with the job.

Think about bringing in specialists like SEO professionals, content strategists, and professional freelance writers. These people have the content creation chops to help your cluster strategy blossom, allowing you to focus on other aspects of running your business.

Measuring Topic Cluster Success

Putting together a clustering strategy you’re sure will work is only half the battle when it comes to achieving success. The rest is about monitoring, measuring, and analyzing the potential returns of your efforts. Keep a close eye on the following key performance indicators (KPIs) to properly assess your results.

Keyword rankings

Perhaps the most important factor to track is your search ranking for your pillar and subtopic pages. Improvements here are likely signs that search engines find your content informative and valuable.

Search traffic

How do the organic search traffic rates look for your cluster-related pages? An uptick in visitors naturally suggests improved search engine visibility.

Conversion rates

If you’re using topic clusters to drive sales or increase interest in products or services you sell, keep a close eye on conversion-related data. Examples include actual sales, of course, but also mailing list sign-ups and similar actions.

Internal click-through rates (CTR)

Watch the CTR attached to your internal links within your different clusters. Those links are there to encourage visitors to migrate from one page to the next and spend more time on your site, and higher CTRs suggest they’re doing their job.

Quality backlinks

High-quality backlinks are the gold standard when it comes to signs your content is resonating with all the right people. They prove that visitors from your industry or niche not only find your content valuable, but like it enough to recommend it to their own audiences.

Audience feedback

Positive user feedback is another valuable sign that you’re knocking your cluster game out of the park and then some. Encourage your audience to provide some by offering appealing incentives or engaging them directly.

Advanced Technical Insights in Topic Clusters

Even an exceptional approach to content clustering can always stand to become even better, especially over time. Here are some insights to help refine your strategy

Think like your visitors

One reason topic clusters are so effective is that searcher behavior is changing and algorithms are evolving to match. The cluster system makes it easier for today’s search engines to understand and accurately recommend websites.

However, consider the fact that people are entering sentence fragments and single words into search engines much less frequently than in the past. These days, they’re using complete sentences and tools like voice search to find answers, too. Looking for ways to state and answer common questions with unique content can help make clusters more effective.

Avoid ranking cannibalization

There’s no hard and fast rule that dictates an ideal number of subtopic pages per cluster. Generally speaking, you want to include enough to cover your subject of choice, but don’t simply assume that more is always more.

More content doesn’t always mean better coverage. If some of your subtopics are too similar to one another, you risk having them cannibalize each other and compete for rankings. Keep an eye out for telltale signs like multiple pages with similar ranking results or pages that inexplicably don’t rank as expected. If you see these, you may need to tweak things to keep your website from competing against itself.

Refresh your content often

Keep your content clusters effective by revisiting them often and refreshing them frequently so they stay as up-to-date and visible as possible. Some good rules of thumb to keep in mind include:

• Topics that change quickly: Review at least every quarter
• More stable topics: Check in at least annually, or more often if your field sees rapid changes
• Evergreen content: Refresh every 18-24 months, even if it doesn’t change much
• High-traffic pages: Give them an update every 2-3 months

You’ll also want to evaluate your clusters to assess whether it’s time to add new subtopics or even remove existing ones.

How Crowd Content Can Enhance Your Topic Cluster Strategy

Ultimately, topic clusters bring a lot of potential to the table when it comes to establishing your brand as an industry authority and providing a five-star user experience to readers. However, there’s a fine art to getting them just right.

Use clusters to explore fascinating topics in depth that will keep your readers coming back for more. Whip your existing website into shape from an organizational standpoint and ensure continued navigability moving forward as your site grows. Leverage your creativity to set yourself apart from the rest of the pack.

To really polish your strategy and ensure your content hits the mark every time, consider partnering with a premier content creation service like Crowd Content.  Crowd Content is your go-to resource for professionally crafted, search-engine-optimized content on demand that’s fully in line with your brand voice and audience expectations.

Explore Crowd Content today to discover more about how our content experts can help you make your content sparkle and boost your bottom line.

The post Topic Clusters appeared first on Crowd Content - Blog.

In an increasingly saturated business landscape, trust perseveres as a key determining factor for consumers. Web users conduct research before buying anything. They compare your website with reviews and your brand’s social platforms to make informed decisions. According to PWC, only 27% of customers trust the brands they buy from. So, who do they trust? Other consumers — and that’s where UGC comes in, serving as social proof and validating brands’ claims in prospective customers’ eyes.

Learn about UGC as we reveal the secrets of two successful examples and show you how to turn your customers into brand ambassadors.

What Is User-Generated Content (UGC)?

UGC is any form of promotional content that’s created and shared by users rather than brands.

You can use UGC across various channels, including social media, websites, email marketing, and in-store displays. Reposting your customers’ experiences humanizes your brand’s image and instills trust in their eyes, and displaying UGC on product pages incentivizes buyers.

What sets UGC apart from conventional ads is its ability to foster genuine connections and evoke visceral responses. Unlike corporate messaging, UGC carries an air of authenticity and relatability that resonates with audiences. It speaks directly to people, reflecting their experiences, aspirations, and emotions in a way traditional marketing can’t replicate.

UGC is a powerful tool for sparking conversations. It cultivates a sense of belonging and camaraderie, transforming passive observers into engaged advocates who champion your values and find meaning in being part of your community.

The rise of UGC 

Content marketing has turned traditional advertising on its head. Thanks to digital disruption, ordinary people can reach vast audiences and make millions of dollars producing blogs and videos from their homes. As it turns out, there’s a substantial public demand for content created by consumers for consumers. 

Plus, with so much access to information, people have become mindful of traditional advertising techniques and more wary of inauthentic media campaigns. They don’t trust the polished images projected by brands as much as a recommendation from another human being. User-generated content is the new word of mouth — with the bonus of global reach.

Benefits of UGC

Let’s look at the benefits of UGC in more detail:

• Social proof: When consumers see a real person endorse a product or service, it verifies your brand story’s credibility.
• Unlimited free ads: UGC is often free and is always more affordable than a full-scale ad campaign. 
• Conversion influence: In 2023, around 50% of consumers said UGC videos help them discover new things to buy. Plus, according to a cumulative analysis, 90% of consumers are more likely to buy something if they see a video of someone positively endorsing a brand without sponsorship. 
• Community building: In the past, companies tried to garner loyal customers. Thanks to social media, you can go a step further and build a community that’s connected to each other and your brand. People have a strong drive to feel included and live with a sense of purpose. Brands can tap into this through storytelling and creating spaces where customers rally together. UGC thrives on platforms such as Reddit and TikTok because people use them to form and find communities.
• Appeal to Millennial and Gen Z audiences: Younger generations seek immersion in their content, and Deloitte Insights suggests that UGC (and video games) most effectively fulfill this need. 
• Drive engagement: UGC is a nifty tool for driving engagement on your social media pages. 
• SEO: Brand mentions, reviews, and an active social media presence are some of the biggest drivers of organic SEO. 
• Voice of the customer: Gathering UGC gives you access to indispensable customer data to refine and improve your brand.  

Barriers to UGC Success

Weak branding and lack of clarity regarding values are the main barriers to UGC’s success because consumers can’t form an emotional connection if certain elements are lacking. For the brands we’ve helped, the solution was targeted content production. Focusing on storytelling that showcases consistent brand values, personality, and voice sets the stage for community-building and UGC. 

A strong brand identity is underpinned by engaging content that’s tailored to each distribution channel. Website copy, blog posts, and videos help prospects decide whether to connect with your company. Considering that 7 in 10 consumers are more likely to buy from brands that share their values, purpose is another essential element of a strong brand identity.

Use these values to inform content ideation and spark the emotional connection that inspires customers to become UGC contributors. 

User-Generated Content Examples

These user-generated content examples demonstrate UGC’s potential to shape the digital landscape. Below, we outline how industry leaders SHEIN and HelloFresh leverage UGC to drive growth, increase engagement, and create opportunities for their audiences to interact meaningfully with each other. 

SHEIN 

This case study explores how fast-fashion retailer SHEIN strategically uses UGC.

Social proof and community building

Social proof is at the heart of SHEIN’s UGC strategy, with real-life recommendations validating the brand in consumers’ eyes. Users post reviews with photos that are prominently displayed under each item’s product description.

This feature has turned the platform into an active community hub where shoppers share styling tips, outfit inspirations, and feedback on product quality. 

Rewarding engagement

SHEIN’s innovative approach to UGC extends beyond traditional product reviews, encouraging users to show off pictures of their SHEIN hauls alongside reviews, including detailed sizing information.

To incentivize users to contribute, SHEIN rewards them with points, giving discounts on future purchases for sharing their experiences. 

Consumers as collaborators and Gen Z appeal

One of SHEIN’s strengths lies in the company’s ability to tap into the preferences and aspirations of Gen Z consumers. These buyers prioritize self-expression, authenticity, and social connection in their shopping experiences. Prominently displaying honest, uncensored reviews with photos on each product shows a commitment to transparency and gives customers a platform. 

By positioning consumers as collaborators, SHEIN empowers them to play an active role in the brand’s success. This approach resonates strongly with the target market, driving engagement and brand affinity. 

SHEIN vs. PrettyLittleThing

A study comparing PrettyLittleThing and SHEIN supports the idea that consumers — especially younger generations — trust UGC more than branded content. All 12 participants preferred having the option to compare themselves to real people on SHEIN’s website rather than only models on PrettyLittleThing. For this reason, they all said they’d prefer to shop with SHEIN. 

One expressed a clear lack of trust in PrettyLittleThing’s branded imagery. 

Prioritizing social proof, community building, and consumer empowerment has helped SHEIN captivate Gen Z consumers and establish itself as a leader in the fast-fashion industry. 

HelloFresh

Through a carefully curated blend of branded and user-generated content, HelloFresh has established a thriving community and transmitted its brand message across multiple digital channels. The meal-kit delivery service uses UGC to manage customer expectations, foster community engagement, and drive business growth. 

By prominently showcasing real-life experiences and testimonials from satisfied customers, HelloFresh creates authentic and relatable narratives that resonate with its target audience.

Influencer marketing

HelloFresh relies on influencer marketing to amplify its UGC campaigns. Partnering with food bloggers, home chefs, and lifestyle influencers enables the brand to expand its reach, piggybacking on the creators’ reputations. 

In sponsored ads, YouTubers and TikTokers make DIY content, where they cook HelloFresh recipes. They also ask viewers to send pictures and videos of their HelloFresh cooking triumphs and disasters and offer discounts for using their branded codes.

Social media

Another core element of HelloFresh’s UGC strategy is social media engagement. The company asks customers to share photos of their meal creations using the hashtag #HelloFreshPics. 

Winners are chosen randomly to be featured on the website homepage, with their Instagram username and photo caption prominently displayed.  

Consistently curating and reposting UGC amplifies HelloFresh’s customers’ voices while inspiring others to try its products. Consumers are excited by the opportunity to be featured on the brand’s homepage, driving engagement and brand mentions for the company. 

Email marketing

HelloFresh integrates UGC into email marketing campaigns. The company gets results from email newsletters featuring customer testimonials, reviews, and photos. 

Content marketing 

Crucially, HelloFresh’s content strategy underpins its UGC initiatives. Its team focuses on creating visually appealing content that showcases the produce and educates its audience. High-quality yet relatable blog posts, recipe cards, and cooking tutorials include call-to-actions recommending HelloFresh customers share their culinary creations.

Even the brand’s in-house ads are intentionally shot to look realistic and relatable instead of highly stylized. 

In a 2021 interview, Carrie Crow at HelloFresh explained, “We want to make sure that what we’re representing is what the customer is going to be able to do. Maybe it’s slightly more aspirational, but we want it to be a realistic interpretation of what they’re going to make for themselves.” 

UGC is authentic and relatable  

For decades, advertisers exclusively displayed products in their most polished, picture-perfect state. You might fear putting your brand image into your customers’ hands in case you lose control of the narrative. But remember, when you have consistent and clear brand messaging that aligns with reality, consumers know what to expect. As SHEIN and HelloFresh have proven, UGC’s DIY, less-than-perfect aesthetic isn’t off-putting to prospects — in fact, it’s quite the opposite.

Brands should consider customers’ emotions, desires, and pain points to spark interest and establish meaningful connections. Here’s a summary of how the companies in our case studies did it:

• SHEIN realized people were asking, “Sure, that dress looks awesome on the model, but how will it fit me?” The brand displays reviews with pictures of real people so customers have authentic reference points to gauge how clothes will fit them.  
• HelloFresh understands that meal kit customers often think, “The food looks beautiful on the recipe card, but if mine looks nothing like it, I’m going to feel disappointed.” UGC and relatable branded content helps them manage expectations. Instead of being disheartened when dishes don’t look perfect, customers feel a sense of achievement because they’ve made something that looks like the UGC photos they’ve seen.

Getting Your Audience to Produce UGC

Incorporating UGC on top of written and branded content is an affordable and effective way to establish trust and increase conversions. Per PWC’s 2023 Consumer Insights Survey, 63% of consumers reject middlemen and prefer to purchase directly from brands, and this trend is predicted to increase. With more eyes on your website and social media pages, optimizing these touchpoints is essential. 

Use the following strategies to encourage your customers to produce user-generated content:

• Interactive elements: Polls, quizzes, challenges, and contests drive participation and bring a sense of ownership to your brand’s community. Making them active participants empowers them to contribute their unique perspectives.

• User-generated hashtags: Create branded hashtags that resonate with your audience and encourage them to share their stories, photos, and experiences with your brand. By curating and amplifying user-generated content with these hashtags, you increase brand visibility and make your customers feel a sense of belonging.
  
• Cocreation: Cocreate content with your audience that reflects their interests, preferences, and aspirations. Ask them about their ideas for product development or UGC campaigns. As you can see from our case studies, involving your audience in the creative process strengthens their emotional connection to your brand and drives engagement.
  
• Incentivized participation: Offer rewards, incentives, and exclusive perks to motivate audience members to contribute to UGC. Whether it’s discounts, freebies, or a prominent feature on your website or social pages, incentivizing participation sparks action and enhances the perceived value of making a contribution.
  
• Authenticity: Embrace imperfection and celebrate diversity by showcasing real-life stories. Authenticity resonates with today’s consumers, who value transparency and genuineness more than image alone.
  
• Community building: Foster a vibrant online community where your audience feels connected, supported, and valued. Start conversations, reply to comments on social media, and celebrate the contributions of your most engaged followers. This creates a supportive environment and inspires brand advocacy.
  
• Emerging technologies: Champion innovative tools and platforms that enable new forms of UGC, such as augmented reality, virtual reality, live-streaming, and interactive storytelling. 

How to Measure UGC Success 

To measure UGC’s success, focus on: 

• Sentiment analysis: Natural language processing gauges the emotional tone of user-generated content and how it aligns with brand messaging. 
• Engagement metrics: Track likes, comments, shares, and other forms of interaction to measure audience engagement levels.
• User demographics: Use analytics tools to understand the demographic characteristics of people creating your UGC so you can target them in the future.
• Influence mapping: Identify key influencers to find partners who are able to make a sizable impact within your community.

• Trend analysis: Monitor trends and patterns in UGC to anticipate shifts in consumer preferences.

Common challenges and solutions in UGC management

These are common difficulties brands run into when deploying and overseeing a UGC strategy, along with solutions:

• Authenticity: Implement robust curation processes to ensure only genuine and relevant UGC gets showcased.
• Verification: Establish verification procedures to authenticate user-generated content and maintain credibility.
• Integration: Develop integration methods to incorporate UGC into marketing campaigns across channels.
• Negative feedback: Embrace transparency and respond constructively to negative UGC, turning criticism into opportunities for improvement.
• Legal considerations: Adhere to copyright and privacy regulations when using UGC to safeguard your brand and the people creating content on its behalf.
• Community management: Curate a supportive and engaged community around UGC, setting rules and using strict moderation to encourage collaboration and positive interactions.

UGC Drives Authentic Engagement and Growth

To grow, brands must engage audiences across more channels than ever. That means fostering communities and forging emotional connections instead of relying on conventional advertising methods. But it isn’t easy. Your target market needs to hear, see, and recognize your brand’s voice and values for them to resonate. 

Let Crowd Content craft website content, blog posts, podcast scripts, and e-books reflecting your values and amplifying your brand voice. With a solid foundation of content speaking directly to your target audience, UGC can flourish. 

The post User-Generated Content Examples 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.

The thing is, blogs aren’t a novelty anymore. Readers can spot mediocre content as fast as they can close the tab on their browsers. They crave unique insight and experience, leaving plenty of room for authoritative blogs that offer value.

So, how do you leverage technology and build a blog that appeals to audiences today?

• Our journey starts with the basics: identifying a profitable niche, evaluating competitors, choosing a blogging platform, and designing a user-friendly site. 
• After you set up your site, we’ll cover how to grow your blog with content creation, audience building, and monetization tips.
• Finally, we’ll go over legal and ethical considerations to position you for long-term success.

What Is a Blog? 

A blog is an online information hub sharing knowledge about a specific niche. Blogs are created for several reasons, including personal interest, for generating income, or for serving as a content marketing tool to attract a target audience.

Blogs started out as “weblogs” in the mid-1990s as people began testing the internet waters. Early blogs acted as an online diary, connecting with people with similar journeys or interests. Soon, platforms such as Blogger and Live Journal made it easy for anyone to start a blog without technical expertise. In the early 2000s, Google AdSense enabled blogs to display ads so bloggers could turn a pastime into an income-generating activity. Brands also began partnering with bloggers who had built loyal audiences to promote their products.  

Today, blogs are more dynamic than ever, leveraging technology and multimedia to engage users. In 2024, you can find an array of tools — including AI — powering content creation. SEO, social media, and a variety of marketing channels are helping blog writers find new ways to monetize their online presence.  

Reasons for Creating a Blog

With so many blogs out there, why create a new one? Well, a blog can help you:

• Explore your creativity and interests. A blog offers a rewarding platform to share your knowledge and skills. You can use your blog as a portfolio to document a journey or help inspire others. 
• Build a personal brand. Create a blog to position yourself as an authority and develop a reputation as a credible resource. Matt Kepnes built Nomadic Matt, for example, to share his tips and expertise for traveling the world on a budget.  

• Build a business brand. Blogs are often the centerpiece of a company’s content marketing strategy. Posts are distributed through channels such as social media and email, building brand awareness and driving traffic to support business goals. Hostelling International uses a travel blog to draw readers to its website. 
• Support financial goals. Blogs can be monetized through advertising, affiliate marketing, and brand partnerships. They can also be used for selling products and services such as online courses.

How to Start a Blog: Identifying Your Niche 

To build an audience, you need to strike a balance between a subject you’re passionate about and what others are interested in learning.

Use SEO tools

Semrush and Ahrefs offer SEO tools to help you analyze keywords for various topics. In addition to comparing search volumes, you can uncover related terms to focus your blog’s content.

Google Trends can tell you if active searches for a particular topic are trending. For example, if you plug “baby food recipes,” “keto recipes,” and “vegan recipes” into the tool for the past 5 years, you can see how interest in these topics is changing over time. 

Explore online communities

Reddit, Quora, Instagram, X, and other social media platforms give insight into topics people are curious about. Analyze conversations to see how audiences talk about a topic and the language they use. This can help optimize your blog for voice, tone, and niche interests, as users tend to be more conversational in online communities than with traditional search engines.

Talk to your audience

If you already have a customer base, survey them to understand their pain points. Ask about the content types they prefer and where they spend time online to help align your blog with their interests.

Listen in on social media

Social media listening tools help gauge what your target audience is talking about online. Create a list of keywords related to your industry, brand, and competitors then monitor reach and engagement. You can also zero in on emerging trends.

Conduct Competitive Analysis 

Once you’ve established demand for the topic, get a sense of where you fit in the blogging landscape. Understanding your competitors can help you differentiate your blog.

Tools such as SpyFu can give you the scoop on competitors. For example, if you’re starting a financial tips blog, enter a competing site, such as “nerdwallet.com,” into the tool. SpyFu will identify competitors, such as Business Insider, Investopedia, and Forbes. The provided data shows keywords these sites rank for and performance gains or losses. You can leverage this information to learn what your competitors are doing well and where you might be better at meeting audience needs. 

Take this a step further and evaluate how your competitors position themselves:  

• What type of content do they publish?
• What kind of user experience do they offer?
• What social platforms are they active on, and how do they interact with audiences?
• What advertisers and partners do they work with?

It’s a lot of information to sift through, but it’s critical for developing a blog strategy. For example, you might find a competitor’s blog to be text-heavy and differentiate yours with podcasts and video content. Or, you might see an opportunity to distinguish your travel blog by incorporating accessibility tips.

Establish your authority

Website authority emphasizes to Google that you’re an expert on a subject, which is easier to demonstrate if you specialize in a niche. You can build a comprehensive content inventory and cultivate a targeted audience to attract ads, partners, and brands that want to reach this customer segment.

Choosing the Right Platform and Hosting 

When you’re ready to build your website, choose a blogging platform that satisfies your immediate needs and offers opportunities to expand in the future. You might not need ecommerce capabilities now, but once your site gains traction, you may want to sell courses, ebooks, or merchandise. Leave yourself room to grow without switching platforms.

You’ll also need to consider your technical expertise. Platforms such as Wix and Squarespace offer easy drag-and-drop editors, so there’s no coding involved. 

WordPress provides full customization with plenty of plug-ins and integrations.

When evaluating blogging platforms, consider whether they offer:

• Simple, easy-to-use interface
• Variety of templates
• Integrations for customizing user experience and workflow
• Built-in SEO tools, such as keyword research, image-alt text, customizable meta descriptions, and suggested optimizations
• Ecommerce capabilities, including product pages, shopping carts, and payment processing
• Sign-up forms for mailing lists
• Analytics for monitoring site traffic and growth
• 24/7 support, including live chat or telephone service
• SSL security

AI website builders

AI website builders, such as Hostinger and Wix ADI, use artificial intelligence to create blogs. Simply enter your blog name, a description of your site, and relevant keywords. The platform chooses the layout, colors, font, and images. You can adjust and customize the site to your preferences. For those with coding experience, platforms such as CodeWP use AI to help develop advanced features for WordPress sites.

Hosting

Depending on the server that hosts your blog, your site speed and security may differ. A shared hosting service, like HostGator or Bluehost, where multiple sites share one server, is cost-effective but may run slowly if other sites are consuming significant resources. However, you pay more for a dedicated server. Cloud hosting platforms, such as AWS and Google, use a network of servers to increase resources and enable you to scale when needed. 

Blog Design and User Experience

A clean, attractive website is like a welcome mat, inviting readers to step into your site and explore. Make sure your blog is easy to navigate, as any friction in clicking links or filling out forms may cause visitors to abandon the site. Use the following as a checklist for optimizing your blog’s visual appeal and functionality. v

Aesthetic appeal

Consider the look and feel you want to achieve with your blog, and pick colors that set the right tone. Choose a layout that balances text and visuals — pages should be attractive but not cluttered. White space helps distinguish different site elements so users can find what they need. 

Readability

Use a legible font size and line spacing so it’s easy for the eye to move smoothly from one line to another. Be consistent in applying the font throughout the site and choose contrasting colors for the text and background.

Intuitive navigation

Create a logical site architecture and group content so it makes sense to the user. Use standard navigation cues, such as a menu bar, across the top of the page.

Page speed

Things happen quickly online, so your site should load pages and process requests quickly. Test your site’s Core Web Vitals regularly, as they affect user experience and search rankings. 

Mobile responsiveness

About 58% of all web traffic comes from mobile devices, so your readers are likely browsing on a smartphone or tablet. To accommodate these users, Google crawls and indexes the mobile version of most sites first. Ensure your content resizes to fit neatly on smaller screens, and links and buttons are large enough to select. Fonts should be legible without users zooming in, and mobile pages should load quickly. 

Dynamic content

Make your blog a dynamic experience to spark curiosity and engage audiences. Where appropriate, consider using:

• Images, charts, graphs, and infographics to break up copy and make points easier to understand
• Video content to bring concepts to life
• Interactive quizzes and slideshows
• Augmented or virtual reality for creative storytelling
• Virtual tours for immersive experiences, such as the ones offered by the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

Content Creation and Strategy 

To help your blog gain traction, you’ll need a sound strategy and process. It all starts with research, then you’ll need to create a system to publish exceptional content regularly, like a content calendar.

Perform keyword research

With your target audience in mind, use keyword research to guide your topic selection. Identify a mix of broad keywords for core content and long-tail keywords to answer precise questions. Consider the buyer’s journey and create content for audiences both at the beginning of their discovery and further along in the decision-making stages.

Organize themes

With keywords in hand, organize your content into themes so you can take a strategic approach to writing. Let’s say you’re building a financial tips blog. Start with a few topic clusters, such as loans, savings, and mortgages. 

Break these down further. Within the loans category, you might focus on car loans, student loans, and lines of credit. Research long-tail keywords related to these subtopics, such as tips for paying off loans and student loan repayment calculators. This method ensures that your content doesn’t overlap and ideas don’t fall through the cracks.

Manage content creation

Once you’ve identified individual blog topics, consider the format types your audience prefers, and plan your content.

• Use an editorial calendar. Schedule blog posts with deadlines to keep you on track. If you’re struggling to maintain your schedule, consider outsourcing to a blog writing service.
• Create content in batches. Instead of writing in bits and pieces, set aside time to create related content all at once. This ensures a consistent approach, and you won’t have to duplicate research. 
• Write detailed content briefs. A content brief summarizes article details, such as keywords, word count, intended audience, purpose, and topic outline. This document keeps you and your content team on the same page. 
• Repurpose content. Consider presenting content in different formats to satisfy audience preferences and quickly grow your content inventory. Take key points from an article and translate them into an infographic, or turn a webinar into an ebook. As you publish more content, you’ll cement your topical authority.

Balancing content quality and quantity

It might be tempting to push out as much content as possible when starting your blog, but search engines and audiences are increasingly discerning about quality. Google’s E-E-A-T guidelines and the more recent helpful content system update emphasize content with experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness. In other words, your content must deliver exceptional value before it can surface in search engines. Incorporate unique insight, such as examples based on your experiences, case studies, or statistics from your research. 

A note of caution: Many bloggers are dabbling in AI to speed up content creation. While AI can help with ideation, OpenAI’s terms of use state you can’t represent its output as human-generated. In other words, you can’t ask ChatGPT to write an article and publish it as your own — but this is a good thing. While AI content could rank in Google in theory, it still requires human assistance to address the first-person experience and perspective that satisfies E-E-A-T principles.

Building an Audience

You’ve built your blog and put together a brilliant content strategy. The next step is to create awareness and cultivate an audience, because quality alone won’t attract traffic to your blog. Here are some tactics to raise your online visibility:

• Search engine optimization: Follow industry standard best practices for getting your site to rank well in search engine results.
• Social media marketing: Identify the platforms and online communities where your audience is most active. Begin building an online presence and engaging audiences using hashtags.
• Social networking conversations: Share your expertise by commenting on posts or answering questions. For example, LinkedIn’s collaborative articles are making an impressive splash in search results.
• Cross-promotion: Partner with websites that have a similar target audience so you can reach new readers. 
• Guest posts: Offer a guest post to authoritative sites in exchange for a link that drives traffic to your site.
• Email marketing: Build your email subscriber list to market directly to your audience. 
• Analytics: Regularly analyze your blog’s performance. See which pages are most popular or where most of your readers are coming from to build on your success.

Once you drive traffic to your site, keep your readers engaged. Link strategically between posts to encourage audiences to explore other pages on your site, and ensure your content remains fresh and interesting. 

Monetization Strategies

When your blog gains momentum, you can generate income. You have to demonstrate a minimum level of traffic to attract advertisers and partners, but as your blog grows, more opportunities to earn become available.

Balance your need to create revenue with the needs of your audience. Littering your site with ads can get in the way of the user experience and impact your credibility. Similarly, your audience depends on you for your opinions, so don’t recommend products simply to earn money through sponsorship or affiliate links. 

Advertising

Ad networks, such as Google AdSense, Mediavine, and SHE Media, place ads from brands interested in reaching your audience and get paid by the view or click. You can also sell space directly to advertisers if you find a business interested in sponsoring your site.

Courses and workshops

Many bloggers generate revenue through courses, workshops, or coaching. There are a few different models for this. The website Simply + Fiercely supplements its home organization tips with courses at various price points. 

Meanwhile, cooking blogs such as the Canto Cooking Club offer a monthly subscription for on-demand cooking classes. 

Affiliate marketing

With affiliate marketing, you earn a commission each time someone from your site clicks a link to purchase on another website. These links are usually included in blog posts as product recommendations. Amazon is the most well-known affiliate partner, but The Home Depot, Walmart, and Lowe’s also offer affiliate programs. The Penny Hoarder, for example, uses affiliate links and discloses them at the start of articles.

Product or services

Offer personalized coaching or consulting services to your audience so they can benefit first-hand from your expertise. The courses we mentioned on Simply + Fiercely include live coaching calls with the blog founder. 

You can also set up an ecommerce shop to sell items your audience might be interested in, whether it’s an ebook you’ve written or products you’ve developed. Yoga with Adriene, for example, has a shop featuring branded clothing. 

Brand sponsorships

Some bloggers secure sponsorships with brands that have a similar target audience. With these arrangements, you receive compensation for mentioning or promoting products in posts — through financial payment or products to review. You may also receive giveaways to run contests or promo codes for your readers.

Legal and Ethical Considerations for Your Blog

When you’re publishing in a public space, you’re obligated to do so responsibly. Taking an ethical approach to your blog helps establish professionalism and credibility and sets the foundation for your site’s longevity.

• Trademarks: Perform due diligence when branding your blog by ensuring the name isn’t already in use. Consider trademarking your final choice for protection. 
• Copyright: Don’t use images, text, video, or other content without permission or attribution. It’s best to create your own content and use royalty-free or stock photography. 
• Disclosure: Disclose whether you’re paid to write about something, receive a commission, or have a stake in something you write about. 
• Libel and defamation: Take care not to make false statements on your blog that can negatively impact someone’s reputation, as this can lead to legal action.
• Be respectful: Be careful about sharing personal stories, photographs, or information without permission.
• Inclusive language: Use gender-neutral terms and watch for language that marginalizes or excludes certain groups. Consider that a diverse audience may be reading your content.
• Headlines: Be respectful of your audience and deliver what you promise in your content — misleading headlines can diminish your audience’s trust.
• Accuracy: Verify facts with credible sources. If you make a mistake, correct it as soon as possible.
• Accessibility: Make your content accessible to users of all abilities. This includes alternative text for images and ensuring your website is compatible with assistive devices.
• Privacy policies and disclaimers: Explain how and why you collect information and any terms and conditions for using your site. Disclaimers can protect you if you’re writing about health-related, legal, or financial topics — suggest that readers consult with a professional before taking action.
  

Additional Resources

While starting a blog can be daunting, you don’t have to go it alone. Plenty of tools can help you get your work done efficiently, as well as lead you to communities where you can ask questions and interact with other bloggers. Some of these tools and communities include:

• Grammarly: Use this popular writing assistant to polish your copy and improve grammar, spelling, and writing style.
• Canva: This graphic design tool makes it easy to create images for blog posts and social media content. Both free and paid versions are available.
• Looka: Need a logo? This tool uses AI to create one for you.  
• Pexels: Find free stock photos and images for your blog.
• Lumen5: Make your blog more dynamic with AI-generated videos.
• Yoast SEO: This WordPress plug-in helps you optimize your content to rank better in search engines.
• Google Analytics: Monitor key metrics and find ways to improve your blog’s performance.
• Trello: Organize your workflow and keep track of deadlines with this project management tool.
• Google AdSense: Display ads on your blog to earn revenue.
• Reddit: Connect with fellow bloggers on the r/Blogging subreddit. You might also pick up some search engine optimization tips on r/SEO.

Your Roadmap to Blogging Success

Building a sustainable blog begins with researching topics your audience is interested in, ensuring a demand, and differentiating your blog from competitors. But to shine online, you need to plan and create outstanding blog posts that demonstrate expertise and offer more value than other sites in the SERPs.

Helpful, thought-provoking, and original content connects you to your audience. Learn how Crowd Content’s blog writing services can help you scale your content creation, from keyword research to quality assurance, and take the day-to-day details of writing and editing off your plate.

The post How to Start a Blog in 2024: An All-in-One Guide appeared first on Crowd Content - Blog.

To help you along, we’ve compiled a comprehensive guide to the AI tools we love to use all through the content-creation process.

Use Cases for AI Content Creation Tools

AI content creation tools leverage the many intricacies of natural language processing and machine learning algorithms to create content that looks and sounds human but originates deep within the inner workings of the World Wide Web.

Over the past couple of years, the majority of public focus has been on AI’s increasing role in content generation. With the help of a human operator, artificial intelligence tools draw on existing content, data, and other inputs across the internet to create new copy used for everything from blog posts and news articles to product descriptions and About Us pages. But the written word is far from the only way to utilize AI.

AI tools are also invaluable for:

• SEO: AI can help with search engine optimization, by identifying quality keywords and generating metadata that appeals to Google’s algorithm.
• Social media management: Platforms such as Hootsuite and FeedHive tackle vital social media tasks, such as identifying the best time to post a meme and using social listening to track and analyze consumer conversations.
• Email marketing: Creating content for emails can be especially tricky because you have to pack a lot into a relatively small space. AI can draft personalized email content, improving your marketing campaigns without taxing your brain power.
• Translation: Looking to break into a new market? Use AI to translate existing content into another language without losing context and tone.
• Chatbots: Providing 24/7 customer service can be expensive, which is why so many companies are training chatbots to interact with customers and answer their questions when human agents are unavailable.
• Graphics: AI image generators can create images based on prompts, reducing reliance on those generic stock images people love to hate.

And those use cases are just the tip of the iceberg. AI can also help with editing content, analyzing data, scripting, creating quizzes, crafting how-to guides and tutorials, drafting legal documents such as contracts, aiding developers in generating code snippets, scheduling appointments, and hundreds of other useful things.

Top 10 Content Creation Tools

Using AI content creation tools to improve your business practices or to lighten your personal workload is a clever play. But the even more brilliant move is learning which tools are the best overall for the task at hand.

1. ChatGPT

Classification: Broad-spectrum content generation

Overview: Large language models (LLMS) are used to power platforms such as ChatGPT, creating a methodology that generates blogs, social media updates, content summaries, and just about every other content imaginable based on text data originally used to train the LLM’s neural network. In other words, ChatGPT has learned how to create content just like a human would (or pretty close, anyway).

You can use ChatGPT in multiple ways, depending on your role and your goals. Are you a writer who needs help brainstorming? A content strategist building a content map with pillar pages and spokes? A content manager tasked with generating briefs and outlines? You can do all this, plus tons of other jobs, from one chat interface — you just need to tweak the copy before sending it down the pipeline to the next person.

Features: ChatGPT has the ability to answer questions, summarize text, translate content, generate code, etc.

Pros: ChatGPT’s prompt and response format is easy to use and works for everything from writing blogs to figuring out how to fix your washing machine.

Cons: If in the hands of a novice user, long-form writing can easily come off as formulaic (or, dare we say robotic?). Also, because these models train on potentially outdated data, you still need to fact-check everything the platform generates.

Pricing: The basic model is free, but a $20/month subscription provides faster responses and more consistent access when the site is overloaded with users. 

2. ClickUp

Classification: Project management and AI writing assistant

Overview: This productivity-boosting tool empowers teams that can benefit from having multiple utilities all under one umbrella. Functionality is the name of the game, and the completely reconfigurable setup means each user or organization can find a way to make ClickUp fit their needs — even if those needs continuously change.

ClickUp’s tagline is “One app to replace them all,” and it makes sense. Instead of flipping back and forth between apps used to monitor tasks, write content, track goals, and chat with team members, ClickUp puts it all in one place and creates new connections powered by all-knowing AI. It’s like having a personal assistant who knows what you need before you do.

Features: ClickUp has hundreds of features on tap, including tools for task management, marketing campaign management, visual collaboration, real-time reporting, content ideation and creation, editing, and checklist generation.

Pros: The platform is customizable and built to integrate with over 1,000 other tools. It also has a library of customizable templates for work-ready shortcuts.

Cons: AI features are available only through higher subscription tiers.

Pricing: Subscriptions range from free (best for personal use) to business accounts for $12/month. Larger enterprise-level accounts are priced by request.

3. Narrato Workspace

Classification: End-to-end AI content creation and planning

Overview: Narrato Workspace isn’t a single tool — it’s an entire workspace that puts research, planning, and content creation all in one applause-worthy box. It doesn’t matter if your to-do list includes automating publishing for a couple dozen blogs, coming up with ideas for video scripts, or writing a press release for that upcoming product launch. Narrato can do it all — and add some custom AI images for good measure.

Features: Narrato’s SEO content brief generator is a total powerhouse. Other features, such as workflow automation that streamlines repetitive tasks, AI image generation, and built-in content planning and organization tools, are equally indispensable.

Pros: The all-in-one workspace saves time, and the template generator helps users keep dialing in their own processes.

Cons: Users report few cons, but the content editor can lag a bit when processing larger docs.

Pricing: Plans start at $36/month for a base Pro subscription and increase to $76/month for a larger business account.

4. Lately

Classification: AI social media post generator

Overview: Turning long-form content into easily digestible nuggets suitable for social media can feel like a slog. Lately generates social posts in a jiffy, which serves several purposes: You can reuse existing content, populate your social feeds, and generate more engagement all at once. And you don’t have to strain your bandwidth to do it. With Lately, you can create dozens of social posts with a simple click of a button, and that’s not limited to text. The platform also distills audio and visual content.

Features: Lately’s solutions list includes tools that generate content and transcripts, create clips of videos and podcasts, and build social posts with all the necessary elements (copy, images, tracking links, etc.) intact and ready to go.

Pros: As easy to use as it is focused, Lately gives small businesses and busy marketers a way to power up social media without getting distracted by other functionalities.

Cons: The platform’s narrow focus means you’ll need other tools for other tasks.

Pricing: Pricing depends on the number of social channels linked; subscriptions start at $49/month for four channels.

5. Jasper

Classification: AI content generator for blogs

Overview: Jasper is kind of like ChatGPT’s lesser-known cousin, but don’t let marketing make your decision for you. Jasper is adept at understanding tone, something that’s often missing in AI-generated content. Cross-app integrations make it easier to transfer content between Google Docs and the Jasper platform, and you can even use the built-in API to create new integrations that aren’t automatically supported.

Features: Use Jasper’s Boss Mode to create more detailed long-form content. SurferSEO integration helps finished content rank, and with 30-plus languages available for translation purposes, that content is poised to reach an even bigger audience.

Pros: Jasper’s ability to understand and replicate tone is ideal for branded content, and Boss Mode helps avoid some of the pitfalls that usually come with content built off AI-driven templates.

Cons: Like other AI content generators, Jasper isn’t built for nuance. Have specialty and sensitive content reviewed by human subject matter experts for the best results.

Pricing: Creator-level subscriptions start at $39/month and go up from there. Enterprise pricing is available on request. 

6. Copy.ai

Classification: Freestyle AI writing tool

Overview: Copy.ai is another content generator, but this one responds well to additional guidance. Instead of entering a general prompt, such as “zoo animals,” you can provide more context, such as “zoo animals most prevalent in the United States, written from 2nd person POV, geared toward kids, with a humorous undertone.” Similar to ChatGPT, Copy.ai has a chatbot interface that assists with research by answering questions and hunting down data in response to prompts.

Features: Unlike other AI content generators that require you to copy output and paste it into a third-party word processor for further work, Copy.ai has an in-line doc editor so you can polish as you go. You can also build email sequences, translate copy, and use the AI prompt library to help cut to the chase.

Pros: Real-time data collection helps improve factual accuracy and prevent copy from being out of date, and the in-line editor streamlines workflow.

Cons: Copy.ai doesn’t check generated content for plagiarism, and pricing is relatively high once you bypass max inputs for a free account.

Pricing: Basic accounts are free; Pro accounts start at $36/month.

7. Synthesia

Classification: AI video generation

Overview: Video production can be a pricey endeavor. Between equipment, casting, post-production editing, and time off from all the other tasks on your plate, you can easily rack up five-figure costs. Synthesia makes video creation more accessible by using AI to generate videos based on plain-text prompts. Instead of human leads, videos are led by an AI-generated avatar that also handles narration. This tool puts the power of video creation in the hands of small businesses and solopreneurs who might not otherwise be able to share pro-level explainer videos or support their blogs with advanced visual aids.

Features: There are over 140 stock avatars and 120-plus languages available to help you speak to your core audience. Use customization options to dial in your branding and the 60-plus video templates to jump-start “filming” if you feel stuck.

Pros: All the plug-in-play type features make it easy for total newbies to get up and running quickly.

Cons: The editing process takes some time and practice to master, and some features (such as the number of scenes you can include) are limited, depending on your subscription level.

Pricing: Start accounts are $22/month, with an annual billing discount; Enterprise account pricing is available on request. 

8. Murf

Classification: AI voice generation platform

Overview: Murf helps you create AI voiceovers in record time, using the scripts you provide to bring life and an almost-human touch to everything from new client introduction videos to how-to guides. You can choose what type of voice you want and even which accent you prefer, matching your finished voiceover to your business or target demographic.

Murf has also solved the once-universal issue with computer-generated voiceovers: stilted, robotic speech. Use the built-in editing feature to eliminate strange pauses, and switch up vocal emphasis so your end product is less William Shatner and more relatable for the average customer.

Features: Text-to-speech input creates voiceovers from written content; multilingual support increases diversity; and AI cloning can even mimic inflections that indicate emotions.

Pros: If you can write something (or have someone write it for you), you can create a voiceover using Murf.

Cons: Editing is possible but requires oversight by someone who understands speech patterns and knows how to achieve a more natural result.

Pricing: Basic accounts are free; paid accounts with additional features and support start at $19/month.

9. Canva

Classification: AI image generation and graphic design

Overview: What-you-see-is-what-you-get (WYSIWYG) editors changed how the average person created, organized, and published blogs, and now the same tech is revolutionizing image and graphic generation. You don’t have to be a graphic designer to use Canva — the knowledge and taste level are already there. No-code editors offer multiple menus of design elements, along with templates that act as a foundation for almost any type of imaging possible. Create business cards, presentations, posters, videos, social media posts, whiteboards, and animations — as soon as you catch up, Canva will have something new to announce.

Features: Canva has stacked the deck with features such as a huge library of free stock photos, graphics, design elements, fonts, and templates galore. You can export in a variety of formats, and there’s a built-in sharing mode to get finished designs up ASAP.

Pros: It’s useful for everyone from complete newbies to design pros, as templates can stand alone or be tweaked down to the tiniest details.

Cons: Many of the best graphics, fonts, etc., are only available via a paid subscription.

Pricing: Basic accounts are free. Canva Pro is $14.99/month, and Canva for Teams of five people costs $29.99/month. 

10. Podcastle

Classification: Blog-to-podcast conversion

Overview: Approximately 42% of Americans age 12 and up say they’ve listened to at least one podcast in the past month. Podcast formatting is increasingly popular, and Podcastle is helping content creators and businesses step up to the plate, thanks to software that turns blogs into podcast-ready scripts. The technology also works to create audiobooks and other audio-based content. You can also do the creation process in reverse and turn your existing podcasts into blogs. It’s a win-win situation that multiplies functionality.

Features: The platform provides studio-level sound without studio equipment, plus there’s an audio editor you can use to enhance tone, edit recordings, and remove background noise.  The AI tech makes it possible to create digital copies of your voice.

Pros: You can go from text to voice and back again using one utility, and there are a lot of customization options up for grabs.

Cons: The platform is still a bit clunky. But updates keep coming, and the interface should be more user-friendly soon.

Pricing: Basic membership is free for a single creator; multi-creator subscriptions start at $11.99/month per creator; and Pro-level subscriptions cost $23.99/month per creator. 

Top 4 AI Content Creation Tools – Bonus SEO List

AI is also storming the SEO castle, and these tools can help you conquer the SERPs without scouring content for keyword placement manually — and really, who wants to do that?

1. Semrush

Overview: Semrush is all about SEO, with a slate of 55-plus tools on hand so you can optimize content from every possible angle. While basic keyword tools just look at phrases you need to include, Semrush takes a much wider view. Content marketing, PPC, competitor research, and social media marketing — you can do it all with Semrush.

With Semrush, you have a market research tool that also does SEO, making you more competitive and eliminating lag time between seeing a content problem and finding a solution.

Features: Use the AI-driven site auditor to pinpoint gaps in your SEO strategy, then act on the bot’s recommendations. The keyword magic tool rates short- and long-tail keywords by search volume and difficulty.

Pros: So many utilities, so little time! Semrush does a lot, and much of it is available for free.

Cons: Higher plans can get pricey, and with many functions on tap, those new to SEO could get confused.

Pricing: Basic searches are free; paid plans start at $129.95/month and go up to $499.95/month for large agency and enterprise accounts. 

2. SurferSEO

Overview: SurferSEO’s main strength is in content optimization. It uses data-driven insights to create suggestions users rely on to improve their on-page SEO. The goal is to improve visibility and SERP rankings based on the targeted keywords, current search engine algorithms, and lengthy competitor analysis. AI can see patterns the average human won’t notice, increasing the likelihood that SurferSEO’s recommendations can give you a competitive edge and improve your ranking more than you’d be able to achieve on your own.

Features: SurferSEO has its own on-platform content editor, plus analytics tools that track performance and generate reports. It also has a robust resource library, including tutorials, to help you get the most out of your subscription.

Pros: Multiple integrations increase utility, and it has a user-friendly interface that minimizes the scare factor for newbies.

Cons: SurferSEO’s basic plans have limited functionality, and higher plans are expensive. There’s also a learning curve, and those new to SEO may have to dedicate time to reading guides and familiarizing themselves with the platform.

Pricing: Essential AI plans start at $119/month; Advanced AI costs $239/month; and full Surfer AI power requires a Max AI account for $419/month.

3. Diib

Overview: Diib is like a scaled-down version of SurferSEO and Semrush, but smaller doesn’t mean less than. In fact, Diib’s focus is one of the platform’s biggest benefits. Small businesses looking to scale can jettison the noise that comes with too many features and concentrate solely on SEO and traffic insights designed to automate SEO and promote growth.

With Diib, you get a clear growth objective you can work toward, along with alerts that let you know how you’re doing with SEO, social media, mobile conversions, and overall UX. Instead of checking up on your website 800 times a day and neglecting other tasks, Diib does it for you.

Features: Daily health scores keep your finger on the pulse of your website’s well-being. Diib’s 12-metric system ensures a holistic view of your progress, and AI-powered SEO gap checks and competitor monitoring buoy your success even further.

Pros: Diib is affordable, focused, and easy to understand, and the mostly hands-off daily operations are perfect for bootstrapped startups.

Cons: If you need a lot of extras, such as a built-in content editor or lots of templates, you’ll have to supplement Diib with another platform or tool.

Pricing: Self-service plans are free. Pro plans with unlimited access to Diib tools cost $7.99/month.

4. RankIQ

Overview: RankIQ is another specific SEO tool. This one only cares about blogs. The utility’s sole goal is to help businesses and enterprising individuals write blogs that rank on the first page of the SERPs. It does that by handpicking low-competition, high-traffic keywords niche by niche and generating content briefs and outlines that put those keywords to work.

Features: The software uses a call-and-response formula — you enter a keyword, and RankIQ comes back with everything you need to know. It also prepares detailed AI-generated SEO reports and checks rank regularly.

Pros: The interface is remarkably straightforward, and all you need to know going in is your original target keyword.

Cons: There are no advanced features or customization options here. It’s bare bones, and if you want help with website content or social stuff, you won’t get it from RankIQ.

Pricing: Plans start at $49/month.

Is It OK to Use AI Content Creation Tools?

AI content tools are pretty darn useful. From fueling ideation and assisting in research to creating briefs and publish-ready prose, AI plug-ins and platforms are indelibly woven into the future of writing. But, an over-reliance on these tools can lead to lower-quality content, something that can negatively impact your brand and your SERP ranking. That’s why it’s so crucial that you learn how to balance the potential of AI with frequent reminders of the importance of human oversight.

There are legal and ethical considerations, too. It’s your responsibility to ensure everything you publish and put your name on complies with copyright laws and ethical standards. Saying “AI did it” won’t fly.

The Future of AI Tools and Revolutionary Content

From increasing efficiency and offering new insights to giving professional assists that would otherwise cost companies tens of thousands of dollars a year, these platforms are stepping up to make life easier and content better. In many ways, AI content-creation tools are the wingmen we need at a price we can (usually) afford. It enhances our creativity, improves our outcomes, and puts voice and image creation in the hands of people who have never held a microphone or video camera. It’s magical — but even an enchanted bunny needs a person around to pull it out of the hat.

As you scale your business, keep experimenting. But always think of and treat AI as an enhancement, not a totally hands-off alternative to people-first processes.

The post Top 10 AI Content Creation Tools 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.

• Run-on sentences can muddle your message.
• Two distinct thoughts without proper separation signify a run-on.
• Semicolons, periods, and conjunctions with commas can correct run-ons.
• Software tools such as Grammarly and ProWritingAid help identify run-ons.
• Run-on sentences can be used intentionally in literature for stylistic effects.

From misplacing modifiers to confusing “their,” “there,” and “they’re,” the English language is riddled with pitfalls waiting to trip up even the most vigilant writer. While some errors might slide by unnoticed, others have a knack for muddling messages, leaving readers lost in a maze of words. Among the most notorious of these errors is the run-on sentence. 

What’s a Run-On Sentence?

At first, the term “run-on sentence” might sound like a sentence that’s simply too long. But length isn’t the core issue. What matters is how you construct the sentence and how ideas are connected — or, more accurately, disconnected.

A run-on sentence occurs when two or more independent clauses (thoughts that can stand alone as separate sentences) join without appropriate punctuation or a coordinating conjunction and comma. 

Identifying Run-On Sentences

Two common types of run-on sentences include fused sentences and comma splices. A fused sentence occurs when you combine two independent clauses without punctuation or connecting words. 

Example: “She was hungry she ordered pizza.”

A comma splice happens when two independent clauses are linked by only a comma, which isn’t enough to provide a proper break. 

Example: “I love reading novels, they transport me to another world.” 

The Problems With Run-On Sentences

Run-on sentences are the party crashers of the grammar world. They barge in uninvited and disrupt your narrative flow. They muddle the message and make it difficult for eager readers to follow.

Common Triggers for Run-Ons

Run-on sentences often rear their messy heads when writers are overly enthusiastic, trying to convey a rush of ideas without pausing for breath or, in literary terms, without proper punctuation. Another culprit is the mistaken belief that short sentences are choppy, leading some to cram too much into a single sentence in pursuit of flow. Lack of understanding about the proper use of punctuation, especially commas and semicolons, also plays a role. 

Correcting Run-On Sentences

You can correct run-on sentences with a few grammatical strategies:

• Periods: The most straightforward way to correct a run-on is to break it into separate sentences using periods. Take “She loves chocolate it’s her favorite snack.” It can be corrected as: “She loves chocolate. It’s her favorite snack.”
• Semicolons: Semicolons serve as a soft break, connecting two related thoughts:  “I wanted to join the gym; I didn’t have enough money.” 
• Conjunctions: Coordinating conjunctions are invaluable when indicating a specific relationship between ideas. Just remember to precede them with a comma. For instance, “I love the rain, but I forgot my umbrella.” 

Tools and Strategies for Prevention

Catching and correcting run-on sentences is a skill that can be honed with time and practice. Here are some tips to help you self-review and avoid these grammatical culprits:

• Read aloud: Sometimes, the ear can catch what the eye misses. Reading your work aloud lets you hear the natural pauses in sentences and discover where run-ons may exist.
• Look for clues: Look for spots where two independent ideas are presented. You might have a run-on if there’s no proper punctuation or conjunction between them.

Several software tools and platforms can help identify run-on sentences:

• Grammarly
• ProWritingAid
• Microsoft Editor 

The Subtle Art of Sentence Joining

Advanced punctuation, such as em dashes and semicolons, provides writers with nuanced ways to weave sentences together, giving prose a richer texture.

The semicolon, a mark often seen as sophisticated in its application, connects closely related independent clauses; it functions as a soft bridge between thoughts that could stand alone as sentences but share a thematic bond.

Example: “The sun set behind the mountains; a deep crimson hue painted the sky.” 

The em dash offers a dramatic pause and is often used for emphasis or clarification. 

Example: “The door creaked open slowly — she held her breath, not knowing what she might find inside.”

Run-On Sentences in Literature and Style

Authors in literature may intentionally use run-on sentences as a stylistic choice to achieve specific literary effects. Here are a few scenarios where run-ons might be deliberate:

• Stream of consciousness: James Joyce’s Ulysses contains run-ons to create a sense of immediacy and intimacy with the character’s thoughts.
• Rhythmic flow: In On the Road, Jack Kerouac uses long, flowing sentences to mirror the frenetic pace of the narrative.
• Emotional intensity: Run-ons can convey a sense of emotional intensity, as seen in the works of authors like F. Scott Fitzgerald in The Great Gatsby. 

Some authors manage to construct entire novels without a single period. The Other Name, one of three volumes in Jon Fosse’s Septology, is one drawn-out narrative. Despite the occasional question mark or comma, the entire volume evades periods — even within the dialogue. 

Closing the Book on Run-Ons: A Clearer Path Ahead

Remember, mastering the art of clear writing takes time, but it’s worth it. Keep polishing your grammar, get cozy with punctuation, and fine-tune your sentence structure. By doing this, you boost the quality of your writing and allow your message to shine through. Get more tips on proofreading, or find out how Crowd Content can help you with your editing needs.

The post Mastering Grammar: Tackling the Challenge of Run-On Sentences appeared first on Crowd Content - Blog.

• Commas originated from Ancient Greece and are essential for clarifying sentence flow and meaning.
• Commas serve varied roles, from separating list items to indicating introductory elements and nonrestrictive clauses.
• Regional variations, especially in numbers, require careful attention to ensure accurate communication.
• Direct speech, dates, and addresses often utilize commas for structure and clarity.
• While commas can enhance writing, overindulgence can lead to complicated sentences. 

The comma, seemingly simple, carries a rich history. Hailing from Ancient Greece, it initially guided readers and orators through long texts, indicating rhythm and breath. Today, its role has expanded as an essential tool in shaping sentence flow and meaning. Mastering how to use commas isn’t just a matter of grammar; it’s also the key to unlocking clear communication. Let’s look at how you can use commas to polish your prose and prevent misunderstandings.

Basic Principles of Commas

Commas guide readers through a sentence and highlight essential information. They segment and organize, much like traffic signals on a bustling street, while ensuring readers navigate the writer’s thoughts without collisions or confusion.

Are commas “breathing points” in writing?

Often, people equate commas with spoken pauses. While this analogy holds some truth, it’s not entirely accurate. Not every spoken pause demands a comma, and not all commas represent long pauses. 

Commas in Lists

When listing items in a sentence, commas act like separators, ensuring each item has its spotlight. For instance, if you’re listing your favorite fruits, you may write, “I love apples, bananas, and grapes.” Notice how the commas give each fruit its own space so none feel left out?

The Oxford comma, also known as the serial comma, is a comma that appears right before the “and” or “or” in a list of three or more items. The debate around its use is lively. Advocates for the Oxford comma argue it provides clarity, especially in complex lists where omitting it might lead to ambiguity. On the other hand, critics find it unnecessary and believe clear writing shouldn’t require it. The Chicago Manual of Style adheres to its use, while the Associated Press Stylebook is fond of its absence. Different style guides have different rules about their use, so always check to see what’s required.

Commas and Independent Clauses

Commas with conjunctions can either be your best friends or sneaky troublemakers. Here’s when to roll out the red carpet for them and when to show them the door:

• Two independent clauses: If you’re joining two independent clauses (those that can stand alone as separate sentences) with a conjunction like “and,” “but,” “or,” “for,” “so,” or “yet,” you should use a comma.
  • Example: “I wanted to buy the dress, but it was too expensive.”

• Dependent and independent clauses: No comma is needed if the conjunction joins an independent and a dependent clause (a clause that cannot stand alone).
  • Example: “She’ll attend the meeting and share her insights.”

The dreaded comma splice

A comma splice occurs when you connect two independent clauses with only a comma without an appropriate conjunction. In other words, it’s when a comma tries to do more heavy lifting than it should — rather than delegating this job to a semicolon or an em dash.

Example: It’s raining outside, I forgot my umbrella.

Here’s how you fix it.

• Use a period: “It’s raining outside. I forgot my umbrella.”
• Use a semicolon: “It’s raining outside; I forgot my umbrella.”
• Add a conjunction: “It’s raining outside, and I forgot my umbrella.”
• Use a subordinating conjunction: “Although it’s raining outside, I forgot my umbrella.”
• Use an em dash: “It’s raining outside — I forgot my umbrella.”

Commas With Introductory Elements

Commas often follow introductory elements in a sentence as smooth transitions to the main message. These elements may include: 

• Single words such as “however”
  • Example: “Surprisingly, he won the race.”
• Prepositional phrases such as “in the early morning”
  • Example: “Before eating, the children said grace.” 
• Dependent clauses such as “if it rains tomorrow”
  • Example: “When we go to the store, let’s pick up carrots.” 

However, there are some exceptions.

• Adverbial infinitives: Infinitive phrases (like “to watch”) that act as the sentence subject don’t need a comma.
  • Example: “To watch the sunrise was his favorite activity.”
• Infinitive phrases that follow independent clauses: If you tack an infinitive phrase on the end of an independent clause, no comma is needed.
  • Example: “You skipped class to arrive home on time.” 

Some writers might omit the comma in the interest of flow, especially with shorter introductions, while others might include it for clarity.

Commas and Nonrestrictive Clauses

Restrictive elements are vital to a sentence’s core meaning and don’t need commas. For instance, in the sentence “People who love chocolate will enjoy this,” specifying who loves chocolate is key. Nonrestrictive elements offer supplementary information and are enclosed with commas. Take the example, “My sister, who loves chocolate, will enjoy this.” Here, the detail about loving chocolate is merely a bonus.

Commas With Direct Speech and Quotations

When incorporating direct speech or quotations into your writing, commas act as gatekeepers, guiding readers between the spoken words and the narrative. When introducing a quote, you place a comma before the opening quotation mark.

Example: She said, “Life is beautiful.”

If the spoken words introduce the quote, the comma falls inside the closing quotation mark.

Example: “It’s a sunny day,” remarked Tom. 

When a quotation is broken up, commas separate the spoken words.

Example:  “Remember,” he whispered, “to always be kind.”

Now, mixing quotes with other punctuation, such as periods or question marks, can be a tad tricky. If the whole sentence asks something, the question mark stays outside the quotation marks. 

Example: Did she say, “Life is beautiful”? 

But if the quote’s the question, it stays inside.

Example: “Is life beautiful?” 

Commas With Dates, Addresses, and Titles

Navigating the world of dates, addresses, and titles? Commas save the day. When jotting down a full date, use a comma between the day and year, such as “July 4, 1776.” If the date appears in the middle of a sentence, a second comma should follow after the year. If you’re including the day of the week, throw in another comma: “Friday, July 4, 1776.”

Pop a comma between the city and state for addresses: “Orlando, Florida.” And if that address sneaks into the middle of a sentence? Cap it with another comma: “She moved to Orlando, Florida, last year.” 

For names followed by titles, let commas do the introduction: “Jane Doe, PhD” or “Robert Smith, Esq.” 

Commas in Numbers

In most forms of English writing, commas are used in numbers larger than 999 to improve readability by grouping every three digits to the right of the decimal together. For example, “1,000” or “1,000,000” is the standard format.

In many European countries and regions, adhering to the International System of Units, the formatting conventions are different. In this case, periods separate thousands, and commas indicate decimal points. So, you would write ten thousand as “10.000,00” instead of the American English format of “10,000.00.”

Avoiding Overuse: The Comma Overkill

In your quest for clarity, you might sprinkle commas a tad too liberally, resulting in sentences that stutter more than flow. If you punctuate every few words or your sentences have more pauses than a dramatic actor’s monologue, you might be in comma overload territory.

To work around this, read your work aloud. If you stumble or take too many breaths, it’s time to reassess. Consider merging related ideas, rephrasing for simplicity, or letting some of those commas go.

Common Comma Misconceptions and Pitfalls

Commas, while small, are mighty — and surrounded by a fair share of myths. As we touched on earlier, the notion of commas as “breathing points” is a common but oversimplified misconception. 

Other pitfalls include the misuse of commas in complex sentences. A common error is the comma splice, where commas incorrectly link independent clauses without a conjunction. Alternatively, failing to use commas in compound sentences can take away from the intended meaning. Proper comma placement is essential for effective communication.

From Tricky to Triumphant: Your Journey With Commas

Commas might seem small, but they’re crucial for concise writing. They ensure your sentences communicate exactly what you mean. Sometimes, commas can be tricky, but with practice, anyone can get the hang of them. 

The post Pause for Thought: How to Use Commas in Writing appeared first on Crowd Content - Blog.

• Understanding the difference between active and passive voice can significantly improve your writing.
• Active voice is clear and direct and keeps your reader engaged.
• Passive voice is valuable when the action is more important than the actor or when the actor is unknown.
• Misuse or overuse of either voice can confuse or disinterest your readers.
• Switching appropriately between active and passive voice gives depth and variety to your writing.

Welcome to the world of grammar. Today, we’re diving into the age-old debate: active vs. passive voice. Now, don’t yawn just yet! This isn’t some dusty textbook lecture. Understanding this crucial distinction is akin to unlocking the last level in a video game or finally mastering your grandma’s secret lasagna recipe.

What’s All This Voice Business About Anyway?

‘Voice’ in grammar is about the relationship between a sentence’s subject and verb. It either makes your subject the star of the show (active voice) or the understudy (passive voice) by letting the action lead. So, strap in, and let’s navigate the linguistic landscape of active and passive voice together.

Breaking Down Voice in Grammar

When it comes to grammar, ‘voice’ is the term used to describe how a sentence presents the action. Think of it as a movie director deciding where to point the camera. In an active voice, the spotlight is on the subject—the doer of the action. In a passive voice, the camera pans to the object—what’s being done.

Active Voice: Your Story’s Leading Star

In the active voice, the subject takes center stage and is the star of your sentence, owning the action and making the sentence direct, clear, and robust.

Characteristics and Examples

Active voice is like the main character in a movie—it takes center stage and carries the plot forward. The subject of the sentence performs the action. For instance, consider the sentence, “John baked the cake.” John, our protagonist, is actively baking, making this an active voice sentence.

Why Active Voice Deserves an Oscar

Using the active voice in your writing brings clarity and directness that guides your reader through the sentence. It helps them easily understand who is doing what, making the message comprehensible. The active voice adds an engaging element, inviting the reader to experience and actively take part in the action, thus creating a more immersive reading experience.

Passive Voice: The Underestimated Supporting Actor

Passive voice brings the action—not the subject—to the forefront of the stage.

Characteristics and Examples

Passive voice is the underrated sidekick in our grammar saga. Here, the action happens to the subject. In the sentence, “The cake was baked by John,” the cake takes center stage—it’s being acted upon. The attention of the sentence transitions from John to the cake, rendering it in the passive voice.

When Passive Voice Steals the Show

Sometimes, the passive voice deserves to be in the limelight. It can be helpful when the intention is to emphasize the action rather than the actor involved or when the actor is unknown or irrelevant. The passive voice adds a layer of formality or detachment, which can prove advantageous for scientific or legal writing, where precision and objectivity are of utmost importance.

Mastering the Art of Transitioning Between Voices

Switching between active and passive voice is like changing gears in a car—it requires understanding the roles of the agent (doer) and recipient (receiver) in a sentence. For instance, “The mouse (agent) ate (action) the cheese (recipient)” can be flipped to “The cheese (recipient) was eaten (action) by the mouse (agent).”

Dispelling Myths About Passive Voice

Like any misunderstood character, the passive voice has its share of misconceptions. It’s often labeled as weak or incorrect, but that’s like saying blue cheese is bad—it’s not; it just appeals to certain palettes. Passive voice is a legitimate part of English grammar and has its place in effective writing.

Active vs. Passive Voice Across Different Writing Styles

Like certain spices suit specific cuisines, active and passive voices shine in different writing contexts. Active voice is prevalent in journalism and fiction for its directness and engagement. In contrast, passive voice is common in academic and legal writing, where the focus is often on action or result rather than the actor.

Common Pitfalls and How to Dodge Them

Over-relying on one voice or inadvertently switching voices can confuse your reader and disrupt the flow of your writing. Just as a well-balanced diet is crucial for overall health, incorporating variety in your writing style is critical to engaging your audience. By being mindful of your voice usage and considering your writing goals, you can effectively convey your message and maintain a coherent narrative. Take the time to explore different tones, perspectives, and styles to add depth and nuance to your writing, captivate your readers, and leave a lasting impact.

Wrapping Up the Voice Saga

Understanding active vs. passive voice is a game-changer for any writer. It’s not about choosing one over the other but knowing when to use which. So go forth  with your newfound grammar wisdom, and remember: the pen is mightier when the writer knows their grammar!

The post The Great Grammar Showdown: Active vs. Passive Voice appeared first on Crowd Content - Blog.

• Most people make the same types of mistakes in their writing.
• Recognizing common writing mistakes can guide you to improvement.
• Mistakes in writing can be sentence level or issues with the bigger picture.
• Most common writing mistakes can be fixed with simple changes.
• Writing is an evolving art that benefits from practice and feedback.

In the buzzing world of online content, think of polished writing as the twinkle that catches a reader’s eye. Every sentence, every word, can be a cozy invitation to stay a little longer or a tiny nudge saying, “This might not be the place.” And while there’s no secret recipe to whip up perfect content every time, knowing where others often slip can be handy. So, grab a cup of coffee or tea, and learn about the top 10 writing mistakes and the content writing tips that fix them.

Mistake 1: Passive Voice Overuse

Imagine you’re sitting around a campfire, and someone says, “The cookies were eaten by me.” Sounds a bit mysterious, right? That’s passive voice. But if they said, “I ate the cookies,” that’s straightforward and active. When you overuse passive voice, it can make stories feel a bit roundabout. Think of it like a twist in a novel — purposeful once in a while, but every sentence shouldn’t be a riddle.

Mistake 2: Run-On Sentences

Run-on sentences can bury your main points, making it hard for readers to follow along. Imagine jamming two (or more) complete ideas into one sentence without the correct punctuation or connectors. A classic example: “I love ice cream it’s my favorite dessert.” It reads like two thoughts squished together.

So, how do you spot them? Look for sentences that juggle too much. If reading a sentence feels like running a marathon without a break, you’ve probably got a run-on.

Breaking them up isn’t as tough as it sounds. Use one of these content writing tips to help you tame your run-ons.

• Use a period: “I love ice cream. It’s my favorite dessert.”
• Add a coordinating conjunction (such as “and” or “but”) with a comma: “I love ice cream, and it’s my favorite dessert.”
• Use a semicolon if the ideas are closely related: “I love ice cream; it’s my favorite dessert.”
• Toss in an em dash: “I love ice cream — it’s my favorite dessert.” 

Mistake 3: Inconsistent Tenses

Picture this: you’re engrossed in a story about a character’s childhood. One moment they “play” in the garden, and the next, they “played” with their toys. If your narrative starts to feel like time travel, you may be experiencing the magic (or mischief) of inconsistent tenses. They can whisk readers between past, present, and future, and while time jumps work for sci-fi, it leaves readers dizzy and confused in other forms of writing.

Inconsistent tenses disrupt the flow of a narrative and make the content feel less polished.

Here are a few tricks to maintain a steady timeline.

• Decide early: Before writing, decide if you’re reflecting on past events, describing the present, or imagining the future. Settling on a primary tense helps maintain consistency.
• Proofread with purpose: When revising, look for tense shifts. Sometimes, they sneak in without notice.
• Ask for feedback: A fresh pair of eyes often catch things that may have been overlooked. So, share your piece with a friend or use an online tool.

Mistake 4: Overuse of Jargon or Complex Vocabulary

Navigating the maze of jargon and intricate vocabulary in writing can be challenging. If you overload a piece with complex terms, it might be off-putting to readers, pushing them away before they truly grasp the message. However, that doesn’t mean sacrificing eloquence.

It’s essential to strike a balance. While sophisticated vocabulary can elevate content, the heart of the message should always be clear and relatable. 

Mistake 5: Lack of Parallelism

Parallel structure, or parallelism, is all about maintaining a consistent pattern within a sentence or among sentences.

For instance, consider the following sentence: “She likes hiking, to swim, and playing guitar.” Notice how it feels a bit off? That’s because the activities are listed in different forms: “hiking” (gerund), “to swim” (infinitive), and “playing” (gerund). Now, let’s apply parallelism: “She likes hiking, swimming, and playing guitar.” 

Parallel structure plays a pivotal role in ensuring clarity. By presenting ideas consistently, the writer makes it easier for the reader to follow along and grasp the intended message. When everything structurally aligns, the content becomes more digestible.

Mistake 6: Missing or Misplaced Commas

Comma conundrums often trip up even seasoned writers. Some typical blunders include missing commas in a direct address, leading to unintended meanings like the humorous “Let’s eat Grandma” instead of “Let’s eat, Grandma.” Another hiccup occurs when writers join two independent clauses with a comma, resulting in a comma splice. There’s also the case of misplacing a comma in a direct address or omitting it after introductory elements, creating confusion for the reader. 

Here are some more examples where commas make a big difference:

• I love my parents, Lady Gaga and Humpty Dumpty.
• I love my parents, Lady Gaga, and Humpty Dumpty.
• My brother who is a doctor lives in Boston.
• My brother, who is a doctor, lives in Boston.

Mistake 7: Dangling Modifiers

Dangling modifiers are words or phrases intended to modify a word, but they don’t actually correspond to the word they’re supposed to modify. This results in amusing and perplexing sentences that can leave readers scratching their heads.

Consider the sentence: “Walking to the store, the rain started pouring.” The way it’s written, it sounds like the rain was taking a casual stroll to the store. The writer likely meant something like, “While I was walking to the store, the rain started pouring.”

Dangling modifiers can create confusion and disrupt the flow of the content as readers pause, backtrack, and reread the sentence to grasp the intended meaning.

Mistake 8: Repetition and Redundancy

Unnecessary repetition in writing can be a pesky pitfall. While emphasis has its place, excessive redundancy can dilute a message, making prose feel monotonous or overbearing. Readers can perceive repetitive content as a sign that a writer lacks confidence in conveying their message or originality in their thought process. 

Mistake 9: Inconsistent Voice or Style

Tone and voice in content are akin to the seasoning in a dish — they flavor writing with identity. Tone refers to the mood or attitude conveyed, be it formal, humorous, serious, casual, or any shade in between. On the other hand, voice is the distinct personality or style infused by the writer, making their content recognizable and unique.

Together, tone and voice serve as a bridge between the writer and the reader. They can resonate with readers on an emotional level, fostering trust, aligning values, or simply making the content more relatable and engaging. 

Inconsistency in tone and voice can jolt the reader, disrupting the narrative flow. Imagine settling into a profound documentary, only to have it suddenly switch to a cartoonish commentary. Such shifts can be jarring and might even cause the reader to question the credibility or intent of the content. 

Mistake 10: Ignoring the Target Audience

Since reader groups bring different ideas, backgrounds, expectations, and personal experiences, writing for a specific audience can help narrow your focus and satisfy your intended audience. Keep your content on point, be precise, and make your readers feel like you’re speaking their language.

Using Content Writing Tips to Improve Your Writing

Every sentence has the power to pull readers in closer. Although there isn’t a secret recipe to achieve perfect writing, being aware of common mistakes can guide your process. Remember that writing is an intricate art that can be improved through practice and an understanding of who you’re writing for. 

The post Elevate Your Writing Skills: Top 10 Content Blunders to Avoid appeared first on Crowd Content - Blog.

Using a comma before “which” can drastically change the meaning of your sentence.

• Comma usage in relation to “which” hinges on understanding restrictive and nonrestrictive clauses.
• Misusing commas with “which” can lead to real-world errors and misunderstandings.
• Style guides generally agree on these rules, but some minor differences exist.
• Mastering this aspect of grammar is crucial for clear and effective writing.

Welcome, dear friend, to the labyrinth of English grammar, where the comma—that tiny little punctuation mark—can turn meanings topsy-turvy. Misplacing a comma can ignite confusion in your sentences. But fear not! I’m here to guide you through the fiery pits of punctuation, precisely when to use a comma before “which.”

Understanding Relative Clauses: Grammar’s Secret Sauce

Meet the Relatives

Relative clauses are used to infuse your sentences with depth. They’re akin to caramelized onions in a burger—not essential, but undeniably enhancing the flavor. For example, “A koala is a bear that likes to eat eucalyptus.” In this example, the bear’s cuisine preference is a relative clause—not essential but helpful context. Relative clauses are preceded by a relative pronoun, such as the word “that,” “whose,” or “which.” In that sense, relative pronouns are versatile tools used that introduce relative clauses to elevate your writing.

Restrictive vs. Nonrestrictive: A Tale of Two Clauses

There are two types of relative clauses: restrictive and nonrestrictive. A restrictive clause is essential to the meaning of your sentence (like cheese in a cheeseburger). For example, “The person who wrote this article is a renowned author.” A nonrestrictive clause is extra information that is not essential to the meaning (like the pickles—excellent, but the burger’s still a burger without them). For example, “The author of this article, Jane Smith, is a renowned author.”

When to Use a Comma Before “Which”: The Cheeseburger Rule

Now that we’ve had a delicious bite of the flavorful ingredients in our grammatical cheeseburger, let’s take a moment to delve deeper into the art of punctuation using commas. Understanding when to use a comma before “which” is a skill that revolves around comprehending the nuances between restrictive and nonrestrictive clauses. So, grab your metaphorical spatula, and let’s continue our exploration of the grammar rules.

A Nonrestrictive Nibble

Nonrestrictive clauses, where “which” often hangs out, are always introduced by a comma. For example, “My bike, which is red, has a flat tire.” The fact the bike is red isn’t essential—it’s just a bonus detail.

When Not to Use a Comma Before “Which”: Hold the Pickles!

Before we delve into the cases where you should not use a comma before “which”, let’s take a quick breather to soak in what we’ve learned so far. We’ve covered the fundamentals of restrictive and nonrestrictive clauses and understood why a comma accompanies “which” in the latter. But, just like every rule has an exception, sometimes “which” doesn’t need to be accompanied by a comma. Let’s unravel the cases where a comma before “which” is a no-go.

The Restrictive Rule

When “which” introduces a restrictive clause, you drop the comma. For instance, “I need a book which can help me learn Spanish.” Here, specifying the type of book is essential—it’s not just any book you need, but a Spanish learning one.

Common Misconceptions and Mistakes: The Punctuation Pitfalls

Just like confusing salt with sugar can ruin your coffee, mixing up your commas can mess up your sentence. For example, “I enjoyed the book which was full of suspense” means that of all the books, you enjoyed the suspenseful one. But if you write, “I enjoyed the book, which was full of suspense,” means you enjoyed it, and oh, by the way, it was suspenseful.

Contrasting “Which” with “That”: The Grammarian’s Showdown

In the American English showdown, “that” typically takes the crown as the restrictive relative pronoun, while “which” often introduces nonrestrictive clauses. In American English, people often say, “I’m looking for a book that can help me learn Spanish.”

The Importance of Audibility and Rhythm: The Grammar Symphony

Grammar isn’t just visual; it’s also auditory. Reading your sentences aloud can help you feel the rhythm and detect where natural pauses (and, thus, commas) should be. It’s like tapping your foot to a catchy tune—if it feels offbeat, something might be amiss.

Style Guides and Their Recommendations: The Rulebooks of Writing

Style guides like APA, Chicago, and MLA mostly agree on these comma rules. However, they differ slightly on “which” vs. “that” usage, which can be a point of contention among writers. It’s like preferring cheddar over Swiss on your burger—both options are acceptable, but people often have their preferences based on factors like taste, texture, and overall flavor profile. 

Similarly, writers may have their own reasons for favoring one usage over the other, such as clarity, emphasis, or personal style. Despite these nuanced differences, it’s important to remember adherence to these style guides can help ensure consistency and professionalism in your writing.

The Broader Implications for Clear Writing: The Big Picture

Why does this seemingly insignificant comma hold importance? It’s because precision in writing is the catalyst for clarity in communication. And when communication is clear, writing becomes truly effective. Mastering when to use a comma before “which” is not just about grammar—it’s about ensuring your reader understands exactly what you mean.

Wrapping Up the Comma Conundrum

So there you have it, my friend—the ins and outs of when to use a comma before “which.” Remember, grammar isn’t a scary monster under the bed; it’s just a tool to help us communicate clearly. And now that you’ve got this tool in your writer’s toolkit, you’re well on your way to crafting more precise and compelling prose.

The post Using a Comma Before “Which”: The Grammarian’s DilemmaUsing a Comma Before “Which” appeared first on Crowd Content - Blog.

• Understanding when to use a comma before “and” is crucial for clear and effective communication.
• The comma’s use with “and” revolves around the concepts of conjunctions, compound sentences, and the Oxford comma.
• Using a comma before “and” can prevent ambiguity and misinterpretation in lists and complex sentences.
• Some situations don’t require a comma before “and,” such as simple lists or contexts where clarity isn’t compromised.
• Different style guides have varying recommendations on this topic, reflecting the ongoing debate among writers and readers.

Hello, dear friend! Today, we’re going to delve into one of the most hotly debated issues in the realm of punctuation: when to use a comma before “and.” It’s like deciding whether pineapple belongs on pizza—everyone has an opinion. But fear not! We’ll break it down, slice by slice, to help you navigate this grammar goulash.

The ABCs of Conjunctions: More than Just a Fancy Word

Before we dive into commas, let’s have a quick refresher on conjunctions. Picture them as the glue that connects your sentence—they connect words, phrases, and clauses. And our star today, “and,” is one of these helpful little linkers.

The Oxford Comma: The Controversial Celebrity of Punctuation

Known as the Oxford comma (or serial comma), this little squiggle comes before “and” in a list of three or more items. For example, “I bought apples, oranges, and bananas.” That last comma is our famous Oxford comma. It’s like the third wheel on a date—it might feel unnecessary, but sometimes, it’s crucial for avoiding awkward misunderstandings.

The Advantages of the Comma Before “And”: The Clarity Champion

Using a comma before “and” can be like putting on glasses—you suddenly see everything. It helps distinguish individual items in a complex list and prevents readers from linking the last two things. For instance, compare “I dedicate this book to my parents, Oprah Winfrey and Nelson Mandela” with “I dedicate this book to my parents, Oprah Winfrey, and Nelson Mandela.” See the difference? That comma just saved you from erroneously claiming some very famous parents!

Situations Sans Comma: Sometimes, Less is More

Just like you wouldn’t wear sunglasses at night, there are situations where you don’t need a comma before “and.” Simple lists or conjunctions that don’t risk ambiguity can go comma-free. For example, “I bought apples and oranges” doesn’t need an Oxford comma as there’s no chance of confusion.

Compound Sentences and the Comma: The Dynamic Duo

When “and” joins two independent clauses (think of them as mini sentences), a comma usually precedes it. For instance, “I wanted to go for a walk, and I took my dog with me.” The comma is like a traffic cop, indicating a pause between the two separate but connected thoughts.

Common Pitfalls and Exceptions: Navigating the Grammar Minefield

Not every “and” needs a comma. Sometimes, adding or omitting the comma can change the meaning. For instance, “She likes cooking her family and her pets” paints a very different picture than “She likes cooking, her family, and her pets.” Be aware of potential ambiguities and tread carefully!

Style Guides and Their Stances: The Rulebooks of Writing

Different style guides, like APA, Chicago, MLA, and AP, have varied recommendations about our friend, the comma. Some advocate for its consistent use, while others prefer a more conservative approach. It’s like choosing between tea and coffee—each has its merits, and the choice often depends on personal or professional preference.

Public Perception and Trends: The Grammar Zeitgeist

Just as fashion trends change, so do punctuation norms. Some writers and readers passionately defend the Oxford comma, while others consider it superfluous. As language evolves, so does our usage and perception of punctuation. So, keep an open mind and a flexible pen (or keyboard)!

Wrapping Up the Comma Saga

Understanding when to use a comma before “and” isn’t just about following rules—it’s about ensuring your writing communicates precisely what you intend. Whether you’re team “comma always” or “comma sometimes,” remember that context is king. Stay adaptable, be mindful of your audience, and don’t be afraid to make informed choices based on your writing needs.

The post Using a Comma Before “And”: Navigating the Comma Conundrum appeared first on Crowd Content - Blog.

• Parallelism is a tool that brings order, clarity, and rhythm to your writing.
• It involves aligning similar ideas, elements, or parts of speech in a balanced way.
• Common parallelism pitfalls include mixing parts of speech and creating nonparallel lists.
• Parallelism errors can be corrected by ensuring similar elements share the same grammatical structure.
• Parallelism is a straightforward concept that can improve anyone’s writing.

The rules of parallelism in writing offer a trusty guide that brings order to your words. It’s about making sure similar ideas, elements, or parts of speech come together harmoniously. By embracing parallelism, you can craft sentences and lists that make your message clear.

Defining Parallelism

Parallelism is a rhetorical device that balances parts of a sentence or a series of sentences. The device is commonly used in various aspects of language, including sentence structure, lists, comparisons, and more.

To create parallelism, use similar grammatical structures or parts of speech for elements that perform the same function.

Why Parallelism in Writing Matters

Parallelism helps structure information in a way that makes it easier for readers or listeners to understand and process. Here’s why parallelism is important for comprehensible writing:

• Consistency: Parallelism ensures you present similar ideas or elements consistently. 
• Easy processing: When you write information with a parallel structure, the brain can process it more efficiently. 
• Reduced ambiguity: Without parallelism, sentences may become ambiguous or confusing. 
• Enhanced emphasis: Parallelism as a literary device can emphasize specific ideas or elements. 
• Rhythm and balance: Parallelism adds rhythm and balance to sentences, enhancing a piece’s readability.

Examples of Parallelism

• Nouns: She enjoys reading, swimming, and hiking.
• Verbs: He runs, swims, and cycles.
• Prepositional phrases: He is interested in sports, music, and art.
• Infinitive phrases: Her goals are to learn, to grow, and to succeed.
• Clauses: She is both intelligent and hardworking.

Common Parallelism Pitfalls

Common parallelism pitfalls include mixing different parts of speech, creating nonparallel lists, and misaligning elements used in comparisons. Mixing parts of speech within parallel structures can be confusing, such as “She enjoys skiing, reading books, and to take long walks,” where gerunds (“skiing” and “reading books”) clash with the infinitive (“to take long walks”). 

Nonparallel lists lack uniformity in grammatical structure, such as “He’s a great husband, a loving father, and cooks deliciously,” where “cooks deliciously” differs from the other elements. By changing the final characteristic to “an amazing chef,” the list becomes parallel.

Fixing Parallelism Errors

Identifying and correcting parallelism errors in your writing is crucial to avoid confusion or awkwardness in your writing. To address these issues, you should follow a systematic approach.

• Carefully read your text, paying attention to sentences that might exhibit parallelism problems. Keep an eye out for conjunctions such as “and,” “or,” “but,” and “not only…but also,” which often signal the need for parallelism.
• Focus on ensuring similar elements within the sentence or list share the same grammatical structure. Common areas to check include nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and prepositional phrases. 
• Proofread your text to confirm you’ve successfully addressed all parallelism errors.

Parallelism in Literature and Rhetoric

Parallelism plays a vital role in rhetoric and literature by enhancing the persuasive impact of speeches and the aesthetic quality of written works. It serves as a powerful rhetorical device, emphasizing key ideas through patterns in language. 

Emphasis and Repetition

In Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech, he famously used parallelism with the phrase, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” The repetition of “I have a dream” also reinforces the central theme of the speech and makes it memorable.

Clarity and Symmetry

In Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, the opening phrase follows a parallel structure to  creates a sense of balance and clarity — “Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.” 

Rhythmic Flow

In Winston Churchill’s famous wartime speech, he said, “We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets…” The repetition of “we shall fight” emphasizes resolve and adds a powerful cadence to the speech.

Beyond Sentences: Parallelism in Ideas

Parallelism isn’t just for sentences; it’s a tool that keeps your writing in sync, whether you’re crafting a paragraph or weaving a whole narrative. It ensures your ideas and themes flow smoothly, making your message clear and engaging for readers. So, whether you’re writing an essay, a heartwarming story, or a lively article, parallelism ensures your piece provides a welcoming reading experience.

Common Misconceptions and Myths

Myth: Parallelism is about lists.

Reality: Parallelism can appear in comparisons, sentences, paragraphs, and even entire articles.

Myth: Parallelism is reserved for those fancy, formal pieces of writing.

Reality: It’s a versatile tool that can jazz up everyday conversations, emails, and social media posts. 

The Importance of Mastering Parallelism in Writing

Mastering parallelism can level up your writing and make it more digestible for readers. Don’t be fooled into thinking it’s overly complex — parallelism is a straightforward concept that anyone can master. So, keep practicing, and let parallelism elevate your writing.

The post Parallelism Demystified: A User-Friendly Approach to Effective Writing 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.

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.

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.

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.

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 the purview of a skilled ghostwriter isn’t limited to life as an A-lister’s assistant. Freelance writers also lend their talents to all kinds of web content, novels, marketing copy, and even social media posts — they’re tasked with creating content someone else will officially take credit for.

If life as the wizard behind the words sounds enticing, this could be the career for you. Here’s everything you need to know about finding ghostwriting jobs and turning your creative writing abilities into professional opportunities that could change your life for good.

What Is a Ghostwriter?

Everyone has a story to tell, but not everyone has the tools to tell their story effectively. Even those who are equipped may not have the time or inclination to put words to paper. That’s where a ghostwriter comes in.

Ghostwriters are professional writers who craft material for others, taking a client’s vision, story, or idea and creating a polished, publication-quality product that the client can attach their name to and call their own. These writers for hire are generally invisible to readers — hence the spook-inspired moniker — and write for financial gain rather than a byline.

Our post, What Is a Ghostwriter Best Able to Help With? takes a deeper dive into the world of ghostwriting and how it can benefit your clients. But before you take that leap, here’s a look at the essentials.

Is Ghostwriting Just for Books?

While many writers picture juicy celebrity confessions when thinking about ghostwritten material, Britney Spears and Prince Harry aren’t the only people who hire ghostwriters. Ghostwriting jobs come in many forms, ranging from tasks requiring full-length fiction to orders for social media snippets. In addition to traditional “as-told-to” memoirs and autobiographies, some examples of ghostwriting services include:

• Nonfiction books: Ghostwriters often assist experts who are knowledgeable and respected in their field but might not be skilled writers.
• Novels: Ghostwriters might oversee books that are part of a series or continue the work of prominent authors who have passed away — Carolyn Keene, “author” of the Nancy Drew mysteries, wasn’t an actual person but a whole team of ghostwriters!
• Articles: It’s not uncommon for a prominent business person, such as the CEO of a company, to hire a ghostwriter to pen an article that will eventually be published in a newspaper or magazine.
• Blog posts: Brands rely on ghostwriters to keep up with the high volume of content needed to populate a company blog.
• Website content: About Us pages, landing pages, and general copy might sound like they come from the company, but they’re usually written by a ghostwriter.
• Newsletters and emails: Letter from the owner? Maybe, but it’s more likely a letter created by a ghostwriter and approved by the owner.
• Social media posts: Ghostwriters are often the voices behind those pithy posts you see on platforms such as Facebook, X, and LinkedIn.
• Speeches and video scripts: Sometimes, ghostwriters put words into people’s mouths by generating scripts for speeches, promo videos, webinars, and other presentations.
• Song lyrics, short stories, and other types of creative writing: If you have a flare for the fantastic, you may find work as a ghostwriter who specializes in creative content that’s less about marketing and more about storytelling.

What Does a Ghostwriting Job Involve?

The nuts and bolts of each ghostwriting job can differ depending on the project and the client. Your instructions could include:

• Rewriting: Sometimes, ghostwriters rework preexisting content rather than writing content from scratch. The goal could be to improve the quality of an earlier draft or alter the perspective of the piece to better speak to a new audience. There might also be a need for updated search engine optimization — this is especially true with web pages or marketing copy designed to help a site rank.
• Expanding: Sometimes, a client needs help turning a rough draft or even a pile of scribbled notes into publish-ready content. This happens most often with specialty content in a fact-driven niche, such as fintech or health care. Your job is to transform disjointed ideas and statistics into a well-written piece that maintains the integrity and accuracy of the original information.
• Writing from a general topic, idea, or title: The most common type of ghostwriting job involves the client giving you a general subject or title and asking you to create new content from the ground up. You’ll probably be given a content brief that includes an overview of the appropriate style, word count, target audience, and crucial points to touch on. The rest is up to you.

ALSO – How to Get a Ghostwriter to Craft an Ebook That Drives Results
ALSO – Ghostwriters – the Secret to Maximizing Your In-House Content Team

What Qualifications Does a Ghostwriter Need?

Part of learning how to get ghostwriting jobs is ensuring you have everything you need to catch a potential client’s eye. Freelance writers who want to pursue a career in ghostwriting can benefit from meeting basic educational requirements, such as a bachelor’s degree in English, communications, journalism, or a related field.

That said, many clients consider hands-on experience in lieu of a degree, meaning talented ghostwriters can still enjoy a fruitful career, even if they don’t have a college diploma hanging on the wall of their home office.

What Skills Make a Good Ghostwriter?

While the skills required to ghostwrite a novel may differ significantly from those required to write clever advertising copy, there are some basic skills that are almost universal.

• Expert-level writing skills: First and foremost, ghostwriting is about words, and ghostwriters should be able to deliver polished prose. All content submitted should be clean and require minimal editing.
• Flexibility and adaptability: While many writers have their own recognizable style, ghostwriters need to effectively capture the voice of their clients so the writing feels on target to the listed author or brand.
• Ability to follow directions: Clients may have specific dos and don’ts for projects, and a good ghostwriter should be capable of adhering to any guidelines presented.
• Research competence: While many clients will provide information and resources, ghostwriter will sometimes need to embark on research of their own. A good ghostwriter understands how to source and cite appropriate material and fit it seamlessly into the content they’re writing.
• Focus and discernment: While clients are responsible for coming up with the basic skeleton of an idea, a good ghostwriter should be able to finesse, refine, and nurture that idea into something truly compelling.

How Can You Build Your Reputation as a Ghostwriter?

There are several smart ways you can build your reputation as a writer and demonstrate to potential clients you’re the right person for the job.

• Create your own blog, or offer your services as a guest blogger in your area(s) of expertise: Whether it’s fiction or nuclear physics, blogging is an excellent way to make a name for yourself in your niche and show the world your writing chops. This approach also showcases your authority in a given niche and can attract clients looking for writers who can double as subject matter experts.
• Set up a digital portfolio: Several sites, such as Clippings.me and Journo Portfolio, offer free or low-cost online portfolios for writers. These sites let you easily share your clippings with potential clients in a polished, professional manner.
• Reach out to local businesses: Network with other SMBs, particularly nonprofits or those you have personal connections to, and offer your services at discounted rates in exchange for the right to use the finished content in your portfolio. Bonus points if they agree to a written testimonial you can use on your website.
• Join an association: Joining a professional association, such as the Association of Ghostwriters, can provide you with vital resources, opportunities for networking and learning, and even job leads. Many professional organizations offer lower-cost associate memberships that include benefits geared toward newer writers.

How to Find Ghostwriting Jobs

Are you revved up about a future in ghostwriting yet? If you’re itching to make a career switch or change up the types of writing projects you’re tackling, a lot hinges on finding ghostwriting jobs. 

1. Freelance job boards: If you’re ready to dive into your first assignment or just want to check out what’s available, you can find listings for ghostwriting jobs on some of the Internet’s many freelance job boards. Sites such as Freelancer generally offer search functionality and filters, making it easier to find the positions you’re looking for.
2. Advertise your services: Sites such as Fiverr let freelance writers post small advertisements with services offered. While these small-scale ghostwriting jobs may not be enough to pay your bills, they give you opportunities to test the waters and make vital connections.
3. Classified sites: Sites such as Craigslist, especially in bigger cities, often have postings in the Writing Gigs section from companies looking to hire ghostwriters. Be careful — no one verifies clients on these sites, and scammers are plentiful.
4. Cold outreach: Most companies with robust digital marketing programs need a lot of content, so it follows suit that they need a good team of writers. Cold emailing the director of marketing or someone in a senior content position could net you an ongoing gig. This approach is especially effective if you’ve positioned yourself as an expert in a given niche and approach companies in that space.
5. Crowd Content: Crowd Content’s unique platform offers writers a place to find work based on a quality star rating. One distinguishing feature of Crowd Content is that it provides ample opportunity for talented, reliable writers to demonstrate their ability and move up in the ranks, accessing higher-paying jobs. The platform vets both writers and clients before jobs are posted — there’s no chance you’ll be stiffed on pay or have to chase down a client to get work approved.

ALSO – 9 Benefits of Freelance Writing as Told By Top Content Writers

Applying to Be a Ghostwriter

If you plan to work as a ghostwriter through a freelancing platform, you’ll have to go through an application and approval process before you can access actual ghostwriting jobs. At Crowd Content, the sign-up process for freelancers starts when you create a dedicated account. Then, you’ll be asked to share some basic information, including your name, geographic location, and general work experience.

The most important part of the application is the writing test. Follow the directions given to create a high-quality, task-specific sample that showcases your ability to:

• Write well
• Follow directions
• Review content and refine as needed

If you’re approved, you’ll have access to work either through the Marketplace (jobs created and reviewed directly by clients) or Managed Services (high-volume projects run by Crowd Content’s experienced content managers). From there on out, every job counts! Only take on tasks you feel confident writing, and reach out to the client or the content manager if you have any questions.

How to Thrive as a Ghostwriter

You’ve applied for a ghostwriting job, and you’re hired! Now what? Sometimes, the hardest part of being a ghostwriter isn’t finding a gig but keeping it. These tips can help you find long-term success in a highly competitive field.

• Deliver your best work every time: Time is money when it comes to freelancing, and it can be tempting to cut corners. But always remember someone will be publishing this project with their name attached. If you’re not 100% proud of what you’re submitting, the content isn’t ready to be submitted.
• Meet every deadline: Deadlines aren’t suggestions. They’re commitments you make as a professional writer, and your ability to keep those commitments could make or break your reputation and your relationship with your clients. While there are valid reasons to miss a deadline such as medical emergencies, delays should be the exception, not the rule.
• Communicate with the client: If you have a problem with meeting a deadline or something isn’t going as planned, make sure to let the client know as soon as possible. This is ultimately their project, and keeping a client in the loop can keep the process running smoothly for all involved.
• Ask questions: If something about the job isn’t clear or doesn’t make sense, ask for clarification. Most clients are more than happy to provide additional guidance to ensure they receive the quality writing and focused content they’re paying for.
• Be professional: This is a business relationship, and it’s important to treat it as such. Be polite, and always treat clients with respect.

ALSO – 10 Things to Know Before You Start Writing

Are Ghostwriting Jobs Right for You?

While writing without a byline may be a turnoff for many writers, it can be a lucrative career choice for others. It can also be immensely rewarding to be the driving force in helping people get their stories out into the world. If you’re interested in pursuing a career in ghostwriting, visit Crowd Content’s freelance writing job page, and take the first step toward success.

The post Ghostwriting Jobs 101: How They Work, Where to Find Them and How to Thrive appeared first on Crowd Content - Blog.

Writers skilled at business-to-business communications will take your instructions, consider your objectives, and come back with powerful landing pages, white papers, and articles aligned with your business goals. B2B copywriters — both in-house and outsourced — are an integral part of your marketing strategy.So, how do you recognize these skilled wordsmiths? We’ve put together a guide based on our experience working with freelance professionals and advice from marketers who tell us what they look for when hiring writers. Once you have capable business copywriters on your side, you can improve your SEO rankings, drive organic traffic, and more importantly, convert your leads.

The Nuances of B2B Copywriting

First, let’s look at what you need your B2B writing partner to accomplish. According to research from Gartner, when B2B buying groups consider a purchase, they spend 27% of their time researching online. This means your messaging has to be on point to capture these leads when they’re searching for information.

Having highly effective B2B marketing content positions you as a leader in your industry. It connects you with decision-makers and establishes you as the expert who can solve their business problems and simplify their processes. When integrated into your content marketing strategies, top-performing B2B copy also:

• Explains your products and services in a way that positions you as a leading brand, not simply another solution
• Enables you to share expertise and insights, not just information
• Helps you build trust and an authentic connection with your audience
• Engages readers and draws them into your marketing funnel, leading to conversions

This may be why one-third of the most effective B2B marketing teams spend 50% or more of their marketing budgets on content marketing. With smart, results-driven copy, businesses are much more likely to partner with your brand.

Here’s What an Accomplished B2B Copywriter Looks Like

We’ve come across more than a few copywriters in our line of work, and we can confidently say this: Writing to a business audience is immensely different from creating content that speaks to consumers. Writers who can craft snappy social posts might struggle to translate technical information into product guides (and vice versa, of course). Those who can create attention-grabbing press releases might fall short with e-book content.

So, what should you look for when hiring a writer? We’ve listed some qualities that the best business-to-business copywriters have in common. We also asked marketers who hire writers for insights on what makes a skilled copywriter. 

1. They’ve built a strong track record

A B2B copywriter knows how to market to businesses. Unlike consumers whose decisions can be driven by emotions, B2B buyers need informative copy about how a product impacts workflow, adds value, and helps the bottom line. B2B writers are comfortable with the precise requirements of business writing and can create solutions-oriented content.

“When I’m assessing a B2B copywriter, I’m looking for someone who absolutely understands the difference between B2B and B2C,” says Nextiva CMO Yaniv Masjedi. “A savvy copywriter understands web design and can tailor their words and character count to the space they have allotted. If the writer is sending an email, they know how to maximize open rates; if they are writing landing page copy, they take into account the accompanying graphics, etc.”

Crowd Content tip: When hiring a B2B copywriter, focus on professionals with experience creating case studies, white papers, product pages, and testimonials. If you’re evaluating a portfolio filled with copy marketed to consumers, you may want to keep looking.

2. They adapt to your needs

Any freelance writer who produces copy for different brands needs to adjust their tone and voice appropriately. But smart B2B writers take their writing far beyond grammar rules and style guides. They absorb insights relative to your niche, increasing their knowledge as they write. This desire to pick up new concepts and skills helps them mold and adjust their writing to fit your business’ needs.

As Clare Bittourna, a marketing designer for Codal, puts it, “When we hire B2B copywriters, we’re looking for fast learners, ones that can quickly adapt to a company’s existing voice, tone, and style to produce copy that’s aligned with it.”

Crowd Content tip: Look for writers who assimilate your guidance and perspectives in their writing. If you find one who doesn’t require lengthy explanations for complex topics and asks intelligent, pointed questions about your brand, you’re on the right track.

3. They’re willing to get it right

Any writer you hire needs to craft clear, concise prose that resonates with readers. But the best B2B writer also listens to and communicates with you to deliver what you need, which prevents misunderstandings and confusion.

According to Bittourna, this often takes the form of a rapid feedback process to get writers up to speed. Her content creators need to receive, internalize, and respond to editorial feedback efficiently and positively. 

“We’ve had a lot of success incorporating a rapid feedback process with our copywriters,” says Bittourna. “Instead of writing an entire site or white paper and then passing it to upper management for review, we have the writer quickly draft and send over more fundamental core concepts — like hero text or above-the-fold copy — and adjust or approve it before the bulk of the writing is started. By approving these foundational pieces, we reinforce the tone for the rest of the site’s copy early on and give the writer solid touchstones to lean on moving forward.”

Crowd Content tip: There’s always a learning curve when you bring in new writers, but the ones that excel build on their experience. You should see progress in each piece of content as writers absorb the intricacies of your niche and brand and translate them appropriately.

4. They’re experts in your niche

In every profession and industry, expertise comes at a price. The best B2B writers have positioned themselves in a specific niche and often have years of hands-on experience in your brand’s industry. They’ll be able to delve deeper into topics and create valuable, top-notch content that helps you meet Google’s most recent helpful content update.

While companies with tighter marketing budgets may have to settle for writers with less experience, it’s important to keep in mind that quality is much better than quantity for B2B marketing copywriting. Masjedi points out, “If they have a background in the business they are targeting, they’re going to land higher conversion rates.”

Crowd Content tip: Try to find experienced B2B writers with professional industry experience on their resumes. If your business has to go with a writer without experience, consider using subject matter experts who can review the accuracy of your content and ensure it meets E-E-A-T guidelines for ranking well.

5. They have sharp research skills

Writing for B2B audiences demands a particular skill set that consumer writing doesn’t need. Business readers are savvy — they can spot an imposter in a heartbeat. And while B2B copywriters are often domain professionals, they should still stay abreast of what’s happening in your industry. As such, they need to possess superb research skills so their content isn’t outdated when published.

Bittourna says, “We’ve also found the most successful copywriters are voracious readers and researchers — nobody’s an expert on everything, but writing in a B2B space means familiarizing yourself with a specific industry or market space quickly, even picking up the jargon if necessary.”

Crowd Content tip: Ask potential writers what resources they use to bolster their industry knowledge. If they mention industry-specific journals and sources regarded as trusted authorities in your industry, their research skills are probably keen.

Where to Find Proven B2B Copywriters

We’ve set the bar pretty high for your B2B content, but the truth is, it takes a copywriting maestro to help your business shine in a highly competitive market. It’s not worth the effort to publish substandard content — search engines will overlook it, and it will reflect poorly on your brand.

There are a few ways to find business copywriters. You can post job ads, search on Google, and browse LinkedIn. This can be time-consuming, however, as you have to sift through applications and assess writing samples to find a writer that knows their craft and your industry. For some businesses, it can take months to find the perfect fit.

Crowd Content’s professional writing service accelerates the process. We have an active pool of freelance writers from a variety of backgrounds. They’re all prescreened based on their writing skills, creativity, and ability to follow instructions. Outsourcing writing can be cost-effective, especially if your content needs to fluctuate or you want to scale.

There are two ways to tap into our B2B copywriting services.

Crowd Content Marketplace

Our Marketplace is a self-serve option. Request content when you need it, specifying requirements such as word count, keywords, voice, and tone. Some clients provide a full outline, while others let the writer choose the article’s structure, but for best results when outsourcing, provide writers with as much detail as you can. 

You can place and receive content orders through a simple online interface and communicate directly with your freelancers to answer their questions and ensure content meets your needs. Our Marketplace can also be tailored to your processes:

• Place your order to a wide pool of talent or build a team with your preferred writers.
• Order content occasionally, according to your needs, or scale up production with a bulk order.
• Publish content easily through WordPress, Shopify, and BigCommerce.
• Reach out to your dedicated account manager for help or questions.

Crowd Content Managed Services

If you prefer to hand the details of content creation to us, simply let us know your requirements. Our Managed Services team will organize project briefs to your specifications, assemble a qualified team of B2B copywriters, monitor for quality, and send you content that’s ready to publish.

We’ve built in quality assurance from the beginning. To ensure you get the content you need, start with test batches. Think of it as fine-tuning the content creation process and checking that you’re getting the right voice, tone, and messaging before scaling. Throughout production, we incorporate feedback and adjust the process, making sure your B2B content is ready for distribution so you can start generating and converting leads.

Give Your B2B Content Strategy a Lift

Exceptional B2B copywriters may seem elusive, but Crowd Content can help connect you to them. With hundreds of experienced writers across virtually every industry, our platform can invigorate your business marketing and establish your brand as an authority in your domain. Get in touch with us today to get started.

The post How to Find a High-Performing B2B Copywriter That Drives Results appeared first on Crowd Content - Blog.

Decoding the Length Myth: Quality Over Quantity

While long content peppered with detailed anecdotes and long-tail keywords can engage readers and please search engines, it’s the substance — not the length — that truly matters. Google values content that fully addresses user queries, acting as a comprehensive resource. Yet, length for the sake of length — filling pages with fluff rather than valuable insights — won’t fool Google’s discerning algorithms. The goal is to create content that directly answers readers’ questions, while avoiding unnecessary tangents. As you aim for SEO success, focus on creating meaningful content that informs and satisfies, rather than on merely extending word counts. 

A Quick Overview of Current Conventional Wisdom on Word Counts

Recent studies indicate that content length matters to Google. According to Yoast, cornerstone pages perform best with over 900 words, but even taxonomy pages should have at least 250 words to maximize rankability.

It’s not just about pure rankings, either. Content with 1,000+ words attracts backlinks from twice the number of referring domains as 400-word content, according to backlink data from Ahrefs. Neil Patel also found that pages with more than 1,500 words receive up to twice the number of Twitter shares.

These findings shape conventional SEO wisdom asserting that longer content is typically better, and most sites such as BuzzSumo, Medium, and CoSchedule, call for content between 1,500 and 2,400 words to optimize performance in Google.

Still, there’s some nuance to content length. Neil Patel points out that different content lengths perform better in various industries, and SEMRush reminds content creators that quality is more important than length. However, as a general guideline, research from Hook Agency pinpoints 1,760 to 2,400 words as optimal.

What’s Google’s Stance on Content Length for SEO?

Google doesn’t like to give too much away regarding how its algorithms work and what might give you a leg up against the competition. However, John Mueller, head of Search Relations at Google, has repeatedly stated that content length isn’t a ranking factor.

Instead, Google looks for authority and overall content quality. Longer content often meets those criteria because it offers more value to users by thoroughly covering the subject matter.

So, what factors do equate to quality in the eyes of Google? Your content should:

• Approach the topic in an original way
• Provide a complete resource to answer all questions surrounding the topic
• Offer a unique analysis of available information
• Avoid using clickbait to attract users
• Flow well and be free of glaring spelling or grammar issues

Google also recommends looking for ways to highlight your expertise during content planning and creation:

• Build overall website and business credibility
• Present information using evidence and appropriate sourcing to improve trust
• Highlight the skills and knowledge of your authors so readers know where the information is coming from
• Double-check everything for factual accuracy

Finally, everything about the content should be oriented toward real people rather than search engines. This means content should be reader-friendly and should answer the questions it promises to answer.

While SEO is important to a page’s success, you must ensure that people don’t leave your page to look for more or better information elsewhere.

Why These Benchmarks Aren’t the Be-All, End-All

Most SEO experts will tell you not to take their numbers as gospel. Yes, research is important, and you should always understand what trends affect content marketing and your industry in general. But you don’t write content in a vacuum made solely of word counts; you write content for actual users — the people whose needs, preferences, and feedback shape its success.

You also have to consider the topic, the time available to create the content, and your budget, as these can all impact content length.

Google won’t rank your content higher for using 1,000 words to say what others say in 100 words. 

Ultimately, you don’t need to write every piece of content according to some benchmark. CoSchedule notes that content that comes in around 2,500 words tends to perform best in the search engines — but that doesn’t mean every page or piece has to be 2,500 words. For example:

• A product description for a white cotton T-shirt should not be that long.
• A blog about how to wash a white cotton T-shirt will be full of unnecessary fluff if you try to get it to 2,500 words.
• A buying guide that discusses all the varieties of white cotton T-shirts and how to find the right one for you could, however, reach 2,500 words without being full of superfluous content.