Be a Better Writer Blog

3 Essential Tips For SEO Content That Works

Mary Chris Hines — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 14:29:00 GMT

Since there is a high demand currently for professional SEO content, it’s virtually a necessity to learn the key elements in creating great content for the web. Web content writers must not only be good writers in general, but must be able to produce copy that will generate sales and new clients.

Writing content for the web is different than writing for standard print publications. Below are three essential tips to keep in mind when writing web copy.

Write Informative SEO Content with Attention-Grabbing Headlines and Bullet Points

Informative Content

Writing informative content translates into better conversion rates for your client. Visitors to any website are looking for something that answers some question or need they have. They must come away with something valuable. This adds to the credibility of the website publisher, and more often than not, turns into hot leads or sales.

The SEO content should focus on benefiting the reader, not just pleasing the search engines. The technical aspects have to remain balanced with interesting and professional writing. Done correctly, the web visitor sees the advantage in exploring in more depth and/or purchasing any products or services offered.

To fill your content writing with relevant material, you will have to develop excellent research skills. The information you write should not be dated (for instance, no statistics from 10 years ago) and should contain accurate details.

Attention-Grabbing Headings

Those headlines simply have to scream at the potential reader, “Read this now!” People browsing the World Wide Web usually have fairly short attention spans and sometimes a small amount of patience. They are trying to find some information, and if they don’t get “pulled in” in a few short seconds, they are off to another page.

Catchy headlines will instantly get their attention. Then adding in sub-heads with short powerful statements will keep them hooked, even if they begin scrolling down the page rather than reading word for word.

When composing SEO content, the writer can’t be too verbose. He can’t add a lot of irrelevant copy, must stay on the topic, and put in attention-grabbing headings.

Bullet Points and Lists

Adding bullet points and lists to your content goes a long way to creating SEO content that is simple to digest. When trying to present a topic in an easy-to-understand format, lists and bullet-pointed content makes getting across a concept easy.

Bullet points in the content stop the reader’s attention from wandering. He realizes: Here are important points to remember! He usually feels he should stop and read them over. They should be short and to the point. Again, it draws the reader in and will often get him interested in continuing to read.

Use Keywords Correctly in the Correct Density

Using keywords within the SEO content you are writing is essential, and placing them in the correct density is vital. They will ensure the search engines pick up the page. This, of course, is how traffic is generated to the web page.

Taking keywords and just adding them in large quantity to the content hurts the quality of writing and actually harms search engine optimization. This is called “stuffing” content with keywords. Don’t do it!

SEO content is not solely about keywords, but they are certainly necessary. Keeping the density between 1 and 1.5% is satisfactory in most cases. A popular keyword in a popular niche may require a higher density.

Ensuring the SEO Content is Error-Free

Professional content writing consists of checking your work thoroughly to ensure no typos, homophonic errors or grammatical mistakes. Clients will usually reject such submitted content. They know that it will hurt their credibility.

Get in the habit of proofreading your SEO content before submitting it. Spell checking is also a necessity, but even proofreading and a good spell-check program can miss certain errors. Homophonic errors are most commonly missed. You can catch them by reading through your copy looking specifically for these types of mistakes.

Writing effective SEO content is simple when you know and use these important tips to generate quality copy.

How To Master The Art Of The Powerful Headline

Lori Pendleton — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 15:12:00 GMT

Everyone knows that the first impression is everything. But when it comes to getting a content writing strategy off the ground, your headline is the first impression you make.

In many cases it's the only impression you make. Eight out of ten people will read your headline, but only two out of ten will read the article following it. Your headline can be the difference between a blog that gets passed over and one that gets clicked, read, and shared on the web.

Say you want to share ideas about what to wear at a job interview. There are lots of different types of headlines to choose from.

The question: Is Your Outfit Helping You Nail the Job Interview Or Fail It?
The command: Choose the Right Outfit and Get Hired
The instruction: How to Find the Right Outfit for That Job Interview
The reason: Why the Wrong Outfit is Costing You the Right Job

Whichever format you choose, notice that they all share the same traits. These are the traits you need to write a great headline - and help shore up a solid content writing strategy.

Active Voice

There's no ambiguity or hedging in a good headline - it's a cue to get started. The command headline is the most direct example of that, but other formats can be just as forceful in telling readers what they need to do. A great headline motivates readers to start making those changes they need to make. And of course, before they can make that change, they have to read your article.

Clear Subject Matter

When your readers see a great headline, they know exactly what they're getting. They know the information they'll get, why they're getting it, and what they have to do with it. The whole theme of the article should be contained in the headline. How do you know if your headline hits? If someone reads it and knows exactly what your article is about, you've done your job.

Strong Language

Dynamic words often evoke a strong idea of what the reader wants. Your content writing strategy might revolve around a goal of informing and educating readers, but when it comes to headlines, go for the gut. Inspire them to take the action you want them to take, or make them afraid not to. Use words like "now" and "today" to add urgency to the headline. And don't be afraid to exaggerate - the bigger the reaction, the better chance you have of getting that click.

Reader Focus

Your article isn't about what you know; it's about what your reader needs to know. The second-person narrative, which uses words like "you" and "your," directs your headline to that reader at that moment and makes it more personal for them. It also makes it seem like the article was written just for them, which in turn makes the content about them.

Those are the essentials of a great headline, but there's one item missing: keywords. Why? Because keywords are nice, but not necessary. If anything, they can ruin a headline if they don't fit. Some people prefer keywords in the headline, and some experts even advise it to improve search engine rankings.

But keywords should never read like keywords; they should read like they flow naturally from the text. If you find a keyword fits well within your headline, use it. But if it doesn't, don't force it - you have a whole blog to use key words and phrases.

Your content writing strategy should drive traffic and increase your readership. By writing powerful, eye-catching headlines, you come one step closer to achieving that.

10 Quick Tips For Writing Effective Website Content

Jennifer Young — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 14:09:00 GMT

Businesses and service providers that utilize the Internet as a means of marketing must determine how best to utilize blogging and social media networks to position themselves as the leading provider in their area. The main component of this type of marketing campaign is website content.

So, here are 10 quick tips that can help make your website content writing endeavors successful:

Evaluate Your Business

Businesses have a core set of values they use to shape the way they conduct business. Determine what your core values are. What are the products or services you provide? How do these products or services benefit your customer? Determine if there are logical complements to your products. This information can help you create a list of topics to focus your content on.

Set a Goal

Delving into website content writing takes an investment in time. The time you invest is only worthwhile if you have a good return. Determine what your goal is. Do you want to make more money, sell more products or establish yourself as an expert in your field? Examine your list of topics and refine them using your goals as a focal point.

Do Your Research

When a business publishes website content, it automatically affects their credibility. The information individuals read on your site will affect their desire to do business with your company. Make sure that every piece of information you post is accurate and up to date.

Diversify Your Content

There are a number of different types of website content. If you are focusing on blog posts, make sure that you have interest provoking headlines, organized thoughts, easy to read text, striking images and important resources. If you are looking to diversify your content, consider audio files, videos, ebooks and consumer recommendations.

Consider Your Audience

Big words and complex sentences don't make a person look more professional - they limit your audience. The content you write should be written for the market you are trying to reach. Use simple words and spice it up with colorful adjectives which solicit emotional responses from your audience. Before you publish any content, read it out loud to yourself. If it doesn't sound like something you would say in a natural conversation you should revise it. Make sure that your content is free from misspelling as well as grammar and punctuation errors.

Explore Ideas

When you publish web content there are often size limitations due to platform restrictions. Utilize the space that you have and provide valuable information. If the topic that you are exploring cannot be explained in one entry, break it down into a few entries. Thoroughly exploring ideas increases your reputation as an expert in your field and it provides you with more opportunities to exercise your website content writing skills.

Drop It

It is important to explore ideas, but it is also important to let things rest at a natural stopping. When you are writing a series, you should present create an outline, follow your outline and then stop writing. Don't rework your content into multiple formats. You shared the information; let your customers access what they want to read. Take this opportunity to show your expertise in another area.

Differentiate Yourself

If you have considered website content writing, you have looked at competitor sites. While it is important to research your competition, why would you want to post the same information? Concentrate on what makes you special. What makes you unique and better for your customer? Focus on the innovations that make your product what it is.

Don't Advertise

Traditional marketing methods dictate that every piece of marketing is direct advertising which entices an individual to become a customer. The goal of website content writing is different; it is an indirect means of advertising. Don't use this avenue as a direct advertising portal. Present information related to your product or business and establish yourself as the leader in the market. If you establish your reputation, the clients will come to you.

Be a Guide

Sometimes you have a product or service that will work great for a particular customer and sometimes you don't. Be honest with your audience and inform them of the pros and cons about your product as well as the competitions. Be an expert guide who provides information about options, basic components, alternative uses, advanced technology implications, complimentary products and how customers can choose the right fit for their needs.

A How-To Guide For Strategic Content Development

Bobby Ivie — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 16:15:00 GMT

For many freelance writers, content development for marketing is a big part of their income. Clients use the content to get good search engine results and attract people to their sites. The desired result may include affiliate sales, direct sales or pay-per-click activity. The client will also use the articles to keep visitors on the site longer, convince them to get his newsletter and inspire them to return to the site.

Clients may ask content writers to write many forms of material including articles for article directories, social media sites, and websites and blogs. Other examples include ad copy, autoresponder messages and emails. Content development involves more than just grammar and writing skills. The client also expects the freelancer to have an advanced knowledge of search engine optimization (SEO). SEO can make or break a website, so it is up to you as a writer to become familiar with it.

How to Write Good Content for Readers

No matter what the topic, an article must keep the reader's attention and engage him. The flow of the material should be set up so that the reader is anxious to learn what comes next. You can do this by moving through the information in an organized fashion, and by making the last sentence of a paragraph or the first sentence of the next paragraph show that there is more to come.

For example, this paragraph starts in such a way that if the reader were considering leaving the Web page, he may now read the next paragraph to see the example. It works, and there are other ways, too.

The article should teach the reader something. If it is the same information everywhere on the Web, or if it is a lot of fluff and gibberish, the reader may not stay on the site for more than a few seconds. Additionally, the information should stay focused and concise.

SearchEngineOptimizationJournal.com says that articles that are too lengthy or not broken up will also lose a reader's interest. Their advice is to break the article up with bullet points, lists, graphics and subheadings. This helps retain readers who like to scan for information.

How to Write Good Content for Clients

It is important to understand the client's audience, goals and niche. You must know if the article should be "sales-y," didactic or entertaining. You must also understand the style the client wants. He may want it written in first, second or third person.

Other tips include:

Use a twist. To help your client's site be separated from the rest, always offer a unique twist in your writing. Look at it from a different perspective than you have seen in most articles on the Web.
Avoid the shotgun blast. Keep the article focused to only one to three ideas.
Assist the reader. Solve his problem, answer his questions or offer innovative ideas.
Include current events. Search engines love hot topics.
Call to action. It may be necessary to have a call to action to inspire some kind of action on the part of the reader.

How to Create Good Content for Search Engines

The first rule of content development for search engines is not to stuff. That may prevent the search engine spiders from returning because the Web page is stuffed with keywords.

Tips for good SEO content:

Write the content first, and then research the keywords.
Keep the keyword density to two percent or less.
Use related keywords. Example: a "red wagon" can also be a "wagon that is red" and even "blue wagons.
Use long-tailed keywords. Example: red wagons go with short red wagons and children's red wagons.
Use LSI keywords. Latent-semantic keywords are also related keywords. Example: dogs can also be canines, hounds and puppies.

As a freelance writer, it is your job to learn everything you can about your craft. This includes not only writing and SEO skills, but also sales and people skills, or the art of persuasion. Once your clients discover that you are a pro at these, you will never run out of work.

6 More Fabulous Ways To Increase Blog Traffic

Tracey Sandilands — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 15:54:00 GMT

Your blog is up and running, and you have some readers. Great! You’ve used the tips we provided in our first post on this topic to ensure that your blog content is updated regularly, offers quality and variety and speaks to a carefully-selected audience. Your social media profiles are in place and you’re posting your updates on them too. It’s time to move on to the next stage of promoting your blog.

Promote Your Blog

Use technology to help you promote the blog to potential visitors. This depends to a degree on the platform you use for your blog. If you use Google’s Blogger, you can set up the blog to send pings. Once you activate the setting, the blog will show up in lists of recently updated sites.
Submit your url to blog directories, such as Technorati, Blogdex and Popdex, which are visited daily by people searching for blog content.
Enable following on your blog, and make sure your visitors don’t have to register in order to post comments. Many Internet users prefer to remain anonymous and can’t be bothered to set up a profile just to leave a comment.

Link Building

There are several ways to promote your blog content through linking. Interlink between pages on your blog by mentioning previous posts and referring to issues discussed elsewhere, with a link to the relevant post. Create links with other sites by referencing content that may be useful to your readers, or information that supports the claims you make. Called “linking out,” this makes other bloggers notice you, because users who set up alerts for site mentions will see your links. You can also take part in Q&A sites such as Answers.com, where you can create a profile and respond to questions that you might know the answer to, and – you guessed it – providing a link to one of your blog posts.

Publish a Book

Few things that you can do will give you the same credibility that becoming a published author can do. It isn’t as difficult as it sounds, either. You can self-publish an eBook in a matter of hours, get it into Amazon’s Kindle store and start promoting it. Choose a subject that fits your niche and get it ghostwritten if you don’t have time. Publish it using one of the many online eBook publishing software options, and voila – you’re an author. You can sell it for a dollar or less, if you choose. Book sales are not what you are after, it’s simply a vehicle for promoting your expertise, credibility, website and blog content.

Feeds and Alerts

Enable visitors to sign up for feeds from your blog. Both Blogger and Wordpress have Feedburner plugins that you can install on the blog, where readers can input an email address and get alerted when you publish new blog content. Check back regularly to see which posts readers are opening and which they aren’t; this will help you identify what works for future posts.

Networking

Networking online is just as important as the old brick and mortar version, if not more so. It’s also much easier, but equally time consuming because although you don’t have to physically be present, you need to spend time online. Spend at least 30 minutes a day commenting on other blogs in the same niche, linking to their blog content and building relationships with the bloggers using email or social media.

Analyze the Stats

Register for Google Analytics or another application and check the stats frequently. Keep a record of the progress month by month, comparing stats such as referring urls, the number of pages visited and the average time on the pages. This will tell you what’s working and what isn’t. For example, if most of your traffic is coming from search engines, it’s likely to be new visitors. This is good, but it also means you need to work to bring returning visitors back to the blog. You’ll also be able to see how much traffic comes from your social media efforts, and if it peaks or drops one month you should be able to identify the cause.

Whatever methods you use, consistency is key. Building a successful blog and online presence doesn’t happen overnight. It takes as much effort as it did for traditional business people to build relationships with potential customers, make contacts and get their products out there. And like the saying goes: the man who makes the calls gets the orders. Make the calls!

A 4-Step Plan For More Effective Content Development

Dan Willis — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:14:00 GMT

I HAVE A VOICE! For most of us, this cry from The King's Speech was inspiring. As a writer it most assuredly must have spoken to the creative passions within. The world of content marketing has become flooded with templates, Copyscape tricking software and rehashed content.

What happened to the creativity that content development used to be renowned for? The following is a 4 step plan for writers to get back in the game and start producing better content and landing better jobs.

It's All Been Done Before
At times it can seem that there are no original voices or ideas left. Your writing seems so imitational and stale. The solution to this is not actually in writing but reading. Go get inspired. Read other articles from content writers in your area of expertise. You will find in time a renewed appreciation for all that is left to be said. You will start to consider how you would have voiced thoughts on topics and the feeling that your content is lacking in originality will slowly fade away.

You Have A Voice
It seems like clients are becoming more and more specific about subjects, tones and keywords. Many writers feel as though their voice barely comes through in their writing as a result. The problem here is not with the client or the originality of the writer but perspective.

One of the most amazing things about content development is that no two creators are exactly alike. Shift your perspective from what the client wants you to say and focus instead on how you are going to say it. It is a small shift but you will find this simplifies the writing process regardless of challenging criteria and will improve your content immensely.

SEO and Keywords
This suggestion is going to seem completely taboo but it needs to be said, leave SEO and keywords until last. Focus on creating unique and innovative and relevant content first and foremost. Most often clients who are looking for quality content development will be willing to sacrifice percentages on keywords if it means the article is all the better for it.

Don't negate the need for keywords as this is part of the fun and challenge of creating great content, but never sacrifice the content for the sake of a keyword.

Audience is Everything
So often the clients try to provide writers with as much insight as they possibly can. They do this because the content being created, while for their website, isn't for them. Content development is all about the people the clients are trying to attract, engage and inspire. Their audience is who you are writing for.

Take the time when clients provide you valuable resources like websites or insight into the client demographic to consume it in it's entirety. A client will always be able to tell if the writer has taken the time refer to the resources provided. The more your content development stays focused on the audience the better results you will have with your writing stats and repeat clients.

That is it folks. Content development is about creativity, dedication and most of all the audience. If you can manage to keep those key tenets at the heart of writing your writing will grow by leaps and bounds. The more unique your content becomes the higher value your writing will have and grabbing those sweet freelance jobs will become easier by the day.

5 Qualities Of A Great Technical Copywriter

Lori Pendleton — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:46:00 GMT

If good copywriters are in demand, good technical copywriters are in HUGE demand. Why? Because they have to combine writing skill and technical expertise to write marketing copy, web content, user manuals, sales sheets, and everything in between.

Moreover, they're writing about products and services that appeal to industrial clients. Face it, trying to sell things like heating and cooling systems or heavy machinery takes a different skill set than selling jeans or paper towels.

As a result, technical copywriting projects tend to go the most experienced writers. However, if you possess all of the five traits necessary to be a great technical copywriter, you may be up to the challenge.

Technical Knowledge
Most clients want copywriters to have some knowledge of the field, but beginners can sometimes do well without it. But technical projects require at least basic knowledge, if not more. And the more complex the project, the more necessary that technical expertise becomes.

If your background is in a technical area like engineering or industrial products, whether through education or work, you're off to a good start. If you don't have it, get it, because you'll need it for the technical projects that come along.

Research and Analytical Skills
Even with a technical background, you'll need to do research for certain projects, especially if you aren't completely familiar with the subject. In those cases, your research skills need to be up to speed.

Like other types of copywriting, technical copywriting requires the writer to collect information from the client and other sources, then compile it in an easy-to-follow narrative that highlights key features and benefits. In many cases, the research needs to be advanced enough to really get the idea on paper, so make sure your research skills are strong enough to tackle the toughest projects.

Communication of Complex Ideas
The right background and research can give you technical expertise, but not the talent to know how to communicate it. Sometimes your readers will have ta high level of expertise. But in many cases, they're just trying to figure out what the product or service is and how to use it.

Unless you're writing for an expert audience, write about complex ideas in a simple style. Stay away from technical jargon and go for basic explanations. Use analogies and other tricks to help the reader visualize the idea or product. The basic rule is this: if your readers have to searches for terms or ideas, your writing is going over their heads.

Clear, Concise Writing Style
When it comes to technical issues, it's easy to get lost in the details of the product or service. But this only leads to copy that's long, wordy, and hard to follow. To make your writing easy to grasp, break it up into simple sentences.

Think of a user manual. Notice how each step includes only one instruction, written very clearly with no extraneous language. Take that same approach when you're writing website copy or a brochure. It help readers understand what they're supposed to take away from the copy, and it keeps them from getting lost in the weeds of complicated writing.

Marketing Instincts
Technical writing has a natural tendency to turn dry, but a good technical copywriter knows how to keep it interesting. Their best tool is a basic rule of copywriting.

Most technical documents have lots of detailed information, but it shouldn't be a chore to read them, nor should it be just a list of features and specs. Don't forget to talk about the benefits of the products or the needs they're addressing. Incorporate benefits into sales sheets and web copy. Add examples of usage to product sheets and user manuals. Talk about what the product is, but also remember to talk about why the reader needs it.

Technical copywriters have the unique challenge of making products and services easier to understand AND more attractive to users. But if you possess all the qualities above, you could meet this challenge and be on your way to a lucrative writing career.

6 Brilliant Ideas For A Stickier Blog

Jennah Mitchell — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 15:53:00 GMT

While it is very important to have traffic coming to your blog, it really does you no good if visitors opt not to stick around. Seriously, isn't it more important for a visitor to your blog to buy into what you're saying, or join your blog? The answer, of course, is yes.

So, here are 6 brilliant ideas for a stickier blog:

#1 – Make Joining Your Blog Easy

When someone checks out your blog, you really want them to stay and join, right? The most important concept to creating a sticky blog is the easy access to becoming a member. In fact, www.problogger.net recommends that you place the invitation in more than one location of your blog, such as the top in your sidebar, and another one after your blog content. This allows your visitors to see the invitation when immediately stumbling upon your blog, as well as after reading your blog content.

#2 – Remember Your Visitors Are Thinking – What’s In It For Me?

Unfortunately, no one really cares about your specific products. In fact, they are more concerned about what they can get out of your blog, such as wealth, wisdom and happiness, and avoiding things like fear, poverty and loss.

What you should not include in your blog content.

Discussing how terrific your products or services are
Using technical jargon
Bragging about yourself and your years of experience
Talking about your company’s commitment to customer service

In fact, you should be answering the ‘What’s in it for me?” question of your blog visitors. This can be accomplished by considering what your company can offer customers, such as solving a particular problem they may have.

#3 – Organize Your Blog Content

According to www.promoteuguru.com, it's a good idea to post a series on one particularly topic. Avoid blogs that are long by breaking them into 2-3 different posts that will have your visitors coming back for more on the same topic, if it’s one they're really interested in.

In addition to breaking up large blogs, you can also add suggested reading links that are topic-related. This type of addition to your content leaves visitors with the feeling that you have more to offer them, than just what you wrote. And, your content will be viewed as a resource, and not just another blog site.

#4 – Know How To Handle A Rush Of Visitors

Known as a ‘hot post,’ there may be one particular article you have written that really draws in traffic, and you need to be prepared. You can really gain some regular visitors in this situation, as long as you have the right level of stickiness added to that particular blog content. Add a line such as, “If you enjoy this, subscribe to (insertnameofblog).com for more like it,” which really catches visitors’ eyes.

Along with organizing your content, you should consider writing a follow-up article in a similar topic as the one gaining you so much traffic. You can then add a link to the new post, showing your readers you have more to say, bringing them back again.

#5 – Provide Visitor Interaction

In addition to typical blog content, such as articles, you should try adding something interactive for your guests to participate in. This can include anything from contests, polls, as well as the ability to post comments regarding your blog content. Let’s say you run a giveaway every month – your readers are going to continue coming back so as not to miss out on their chance to win – everybody wants something for free!

#6 – Promote on Social Media

Social media is the new way, and for some, the only way to connect. It is a good idea to post your blog content on your social media pages, such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn and add an opportunity for readers to ‘like’ your page on theirs. You may find that some consumers prefer social media pages over subscribing to an RSS feed. You're still gaining traffic to your product, even if it’s not directly through your blog.

How To Consistently Produce Quality Blog Content For Your Clients

Lori Pendleton — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:20:00 GMT

When a client tells you they want blog content, what they really want is quality content. Your client might give you the blog topics, but it's up to you to write blogs that drive website traffic, increase click-through rates, and deliver valuable insight that readers expect from the sites they frequent.

But quality content is easier imagined than delivered - unless you take steps to make sure that you deliver high-caliber blog content every time.

Do Your Research
Research leads to quality content in a number of ways.

Expertise: If you're writing about the same topics week after week, it helps to do research on the topic. You'll eventually know so much about the subject matter that your writing becomes more fluid and fluent. This combination of writing style and knowledge turns you into an expert, which drives more traffic to the blog.
Inspiration: You or your client might have a blog idea in mind, but coming up short on information. Finally, you come across a site that sparks another blog idea. You change course and start researching the new topic. Before you know it, you've found all kinds of information that generates new ideas for future blog entries.
Authority: Your information might be completely accurate, but there's still something to be said about hearing it from an authority in the field. Researching a topic points you to the most respected experts and publications, which can be cited throughout your blog to give the entire post more credibility. Speaking of citing sources...

Don't Blog in a Bubble
Sites are often judged by how many links they post. The same is true for blog content. You're already using keywords to optimize your blogs, so why not add hyperlinks to those keywords and make your blog even more informative?

There's no rule for how many links to add, other than adding links of value. If you're writing a how-to blog, add links that supplement your tips. If you're writing about fashion trends, link to relevant designers and retailers. If you're citing a study or article, link to it.

Also, remember to add links throughout the text in the blog, not in a list underneath. Readers are more likely to click while reading than to scroll to the bottom of the page.

Engage the Reader
Blog content needs to be informative and interesting, but to be truly effective, it also has to motivate an action on the reader's part.

You know what a call to action looks like:

"Click here to learn more about the product."
"Tell us what you think."
"Contact us with questions or comments."
"Download our newest e-book."

Adding one can do wonders for the impact of your blog. With a compelling call to action, you can drive sales, increase web traffic, increase social media engagement, initiate discussions, share ideas, and turn your blog into a hub of activity, where your client sees all kinds of benefits.

Focus on Quality, Not Quantity
Blogs get more views when they're frequently updated. But there's a difference between updates that add value and those that don't.

Some bloggers are so focused on adding new content that they post content without considering whether it resonates with readers. This is the best way to dilute the quality of your blog and drive those readers away.

Quality should always trump quantity. If you're researching your field and brainstorming ideas, you should have enough ideas to generate content on a regular basis. If not, don't force it. A weekly blog does more for your readership than a daily blog that adds nothing.

Content is everywhere, but quality content is harder to find. Make sure your content delivers high quality so your blog - and your clients - can reap the rewards that come from giving readers what they want.

7 Essential Business Blogging Tips

Jennifer Young — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:16:00 GMT

Blogging has changed from a novel business marketing device into a necessary, mainstream method of communicating with past, present and future clients. The success or failure of a blog can be directly linked to a number of factors which affect the way the business is perceived.

These factors can be broken down into a list of 7 essential business blogging tips.

Perfecting the Presentation

The way that you build and present your blog to the world will speak volumes about your business. Your marketing plan should be carried over and included in the design aspect of the hosting site. Make sure your logo and colors are utilized to convey a consistent image. The site should be professional, uncrowded and easy to navigate. Test your site to ensure that everything is in perfect working order before implementing your blog. Once established, maintain this perfect and polished image with regular reviews and design tweaks.

That Is A Blog Post

A blog post is not a new way of writing. It is a short article with a few basic components. When you sit down to write blog content, start by drafting a general outline. Your outline should include a topic, introduction, problem statement, solution, details and a call to action.

If these steps are difficult, start by thinking about a topic and jotting down some notes. Review your notes and plug them into the basic component areas. Link your notes and thoughts together into complete sentences and your post will be written.

Less is More

Blogs posts should not be more than three to five hundred words. They should get to the point quickly and provide information that is useful to your customer base. Try and keep all blog posts short enough to be seen on one page and include industry regulations, changing legislation and current events. Use reputable sources, quotes and interviews to liven up your content, add credibility and link your site to others for increased visibility.

Content is King

Individuals will not be visiting your website to look at the professional and fancy design. They are visiting your website to research information about your business or because they are interested in blog content on your site found through referrals or search engines. Regardless of how they came to your site, you want to keep them there, prove you're an authority on your subject matter and entice them to do business with you.

Your content should be original, accurate and up to date. Check, check and re-check all of your entries for proper grammar, spelling and punctuation before publishing any blog content.

Three Important Words

There are three important words that will make or break a blog. The words are search, engine and optimization. Put together they refer to SEO, or improving a page in order to make it more popular on search engines. Raising SEO ratings can be accomplished by using keywords and links in your post which refer to your business and the products or services it provides.

Brainstorm a list of words or word strings that represent your business. Use these in the body of your blog posts and titles as much as possible without interrupting the flow of your content. Conduct a search on similar businesses and look at their blog posts to gain ideas on additional keywords you can use. If you are finding SEO difficult, you can learn more by reading Google's Search Engine Optimization Starter Guide.

Communication

Blog hosting platforms typically include an area for questions, comments or suggestions. This is a perfect avenue for building relationships. Respond quickly and regularly to any entries. Keep an open, friendly and helpful tone on all of your responses. This may be the first impression a potential client has of you and you want to make it great. Expand on blog posts as needed and provide additional information that can be beneficial to individuals as an added value to their blog participation.

Meeting Your Expectations

Business blogs are used to gain more customers. If you have good content you will build a following. So, give your blog time to develop! Once you start blogging, don't give up. It may be difficult to come up with new topics day after day or week after week, but blogging will be a rewarding endeavor if executed properly. Consistently add more blogs and allow the search engines time to see your blog content. It usually takes a blog two or more months to build a solid following.

Curation, Creation And Your Content Strategy

Lori Pendleton — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 15:54:00 GMT

If you're responsible for developing or executing a content writing strategy, you know how tough it is develop new content. Coming up with new ideas week after week is hard enough without also trying to cover EVERYTHING that's relevant to your visitors.

Some sites have found a way to keep their pages fresh - content curation.

Unlike content creation, which means developing original content, content curation is the process of putting content created elsewhere on your site. Curated content isn't meant to replace original content; it's meant to enhance it. In fact, combining the two gives your site a real edge over other sites.

Content curation sounds new, but we've been doing it for years. When you share a video or link on your Facebook or Twitter page, you curate content. When you compile a list of your favorite game sites, you curate content.

Content curation has always been around, but now it's becoming a deliberate - and important - part of developing a content writing strategy.

The real question is why. Why are sites publishing one another's content? Because they've experienced one or more of these boosts by doing so.

More Internet Traffic

Everyone wants people to read their content, but sometimes finding readers is an uphill battle. Relevant content and keyword optimization help, but they only go so far. Curated content can take your site to a whole new level.

Suppose you add content from another site. That site reciprocates and adds your original content to its site. Those visitors start clicking your links, and soon they become YOUR visitors. They start sending your links to their social media feeds, and the number of clicks continues to grow.

Now imagine you're adding content with detailed descriptions filled with keywords. You already know what keywords do to search engine rankings. Now, without ever resorting to keyword stuffing, you can dramatically increase your keyword density and land on the top of the search results page. No one ever saw their click rates DROP by being at the top.

A Reputation as a One-Stop Source

Have you ever tried to research a topic online? You spend hours trying to find all the information because no site has everything. Then you stumble across a site with long lists of links to articles, blogs, and other relevant content. Soon it becomes your go-to source for research on that topic.

When you curate content, you put it all in one location. Once users find your page and see how much content it offers, they realize they can save hours of research time, and they stick around. If they need to do more research, they come back. Plus, they might recommend the site to other users looking for the same content. Before you know it, visitors are calling your site the best source of up-to-date information.

Ideas for Your Own Content

Once you start using content curation tools, you start to generate some ideas for what YOU want to contribute. Even if other writers are covering your area of expertise, you can still use their work as a springboard for your own content writing strategy.

There are two ways to do this. One is to organize content into categories. All your content might focus on one subject, but each item focuses on a different area or takes a different angle. Instead of forcing visitors to sift through it all, divide the content into subgroups:

News sites vs. publications
How-to vs. informative/educational
Frequent vs. one-time writers
By specialty

You can also highlight the best-written or most informative content, or create a top ten list of the best articles of the week.

The other way to create content is by responding to other people's content. Maybe you reacted to an article because it crystallized your own perspective, or because it completely contradicted it. Write about it. Link to the article and respond to it. Argue the points, provide new evidence, reference other content on your site to make your point. If you're stuck for content ideas, curated content can be your biggest inspiration.

Content curation is fast becoming an integral part of content writing strategy. You might worry that other content cannibalizes your own, but it doesn't. Instead, it increases the value of your site and spurs ideas for your own contributions.

10 Quick Tips for Creating Inspired Blog Content

Christine Parizo — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 16:41:00 GMT

We all know how important it is to have a business blog that's kept fresh and up-to-date. But sometimes the content seems to fall flat, or it's so much of a struggle to come up with content that the blog gets neglected.

Here are 10 quick tips for creating inspired blog content as part of a content writing strategy that will boost your business blog results:

Review something. There are apps, books, events, and other things that relate to your business. Find something that would interest your blog's readers and write a quick review of it.
Mine the blog's existing comments for ideas. Your blog's readers are most likely asking questions or suggesting topics - and they don't know it. Use the comments they leave as springboards for new entries.
Post an interview. Interview a thought leader in the field - perhaps someone even within your company. A well-formatted, thoughtful interview is content that will be shared and re-tweeted.
Write a hero story. It doesn't have to be long, but talk to a client or customer that has had success with your company's product or service and write a case study on how you were able to solve the problem. These "hero stories" are more than standard case studies; they read like a narrative and describe how the customer solved the problem (with your help, of course).
Relate current events to business. There's always something going on, whether it's a holiday or something happening in the news. Put your business's spin on it as part of your content writing strategy.
Research something and write about the results. If there's something you're passionate about that may interest your blog's readers, go ahead and write up what you've found.
Respond to someone else's blog post. If you come across a blog post and you can write about the topic from a different point of view, it would present a fresh perspective to your readers.
Use a trending topic on Twitter as fuel. Twitter is a great source for ideas. Your readers are most likely posting their problems, and if you snag the trending topic and write about it, you can solve their problems and increase your visibility by tweeting out your post under the trending topic.
Write a how-to post. Take a question your readers have and break it down into step-by-step instructions. Everyone wants to learn something new, and if your content writing strategy can weave in how-to posts, you'll be answering reader questions and establishing yourself as a thought leader in your field.
Sign up guest bloggers. This works two ways: find bloggers or people in your industry who would fit well with your company's message and ask them if they'd be interested in guest blogging. Chances are, they may want you to reciprocate, resulting in increased visibility. It's a win-win situation: you get fresh content, and you can also write something and get promoted on someone else's site.

4 Awesome Tips For Better, Faster Content Writing

Rachel Terry — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 15:27:00 GMT

Recently Google has redesigned Gmail's look, and something notable is missing from the new design: words. Instead of clicking on helpful words at the top of the screen, now you can click on icons. This new design is billed as "cleaner, more modern."

Whether word reduction is a result of smaller-screened devices or the public's distaste for too much information at every turn, a writer must alter his or her content writing strategy to stay fresh and current. But how does a writer thrive in a climate that demands fewer words? It's really pretty simple, but it takes some thought. Try using the following tips to update your content writing, produce meaty work, and get more jobs.

1. Get to the Point. With millions of websites at their fingertips, web surfers want information-rich content, and they want it now. They don't want to wade through multiple sites to find what they need, so guarantee them that you'll give them what they want right from the start.

If your job is to write about kid-friendly things to do in Chicago, don't start your piece by telling readers about the summer vacation you spent at your Aunt Trudy's house in Chicago Heights when you were in 6th grade. If their kids are throwing fits because it's the second day of summer vacation and they're already bored, readers don't care about your Aunt Trudy; they want information, and they want it now. Simply give it to them.

Write a two to three-sentence introduction and then give them the goods. If you quickly fill the information hunger, you'll have them eating out of your hand.

2. Increase White Space. Have you ever gotten an email newsletter that was so densely packed with words that the screen looked more black than white? Be honest: did you really want to read it all? Even though you're a writer, you have to admit that densely packed prose is intimidating. It feels like you're reading a law journal, even if you're really reading a review of a Katy Perry concert.

How do you increase white space? Format your pieces to include bulleted lists, shorter paragraphs, and subtitles. Although this content writing strategy has less to do with content than with formatting, you'll find that when you keep white space in mind while you write, your writing will automatically become streamlined and more concise.

3. Focus on Keywords. Focusing on keywords may seem oh-so-unliterary, but it will keep your writing tight and will result in a wider viewership. Shorter, more concise articles and blog entries attract and hold the interest of more readers.

Most SEO experts agree that optimal keyword density is 1 to 3 percent for most search engines. For broad topics, this keyword density may feel constraining, especially if you're writing about a broad topic. If your topic is difficult to narrow down to a few keywords, split it up into a series of articles. For blogs, post each article in a series on a different day to keep readers coming back for more, and include a teaser for the next day's content.

4. Revisit Old Content. Just because you've written about a topic previously, you don't have to shelve the material and start with something completely new. In fact, an essential content writing strategy is to revisit old material and update it with new developments, ideas, and applications.

When you don't have to research a topic from scratch, you're already ahead of the game. Although you can't cut and paste from articles you wrote previously, you can take general ideas and give them a new spin. For instance, if you've written an article about personal budgeting tips, take one aspect of that article and expand on it. Write an entire article or blog post about how to cut down on your entertainment budget using principles from your original article.

Get to Work

So take on that next assignment. I promise that if you incorporate even one content writing strategy into your workday, your speed and quality will improve. If you go for all four of these strategies, you'll be able to ride the wave of modern content writing and not get left behind, writing old-style prose that doesn't fit with today's technology.

Give them the goods, format it like eye-candy, keep keywords in mind, and revisit previously written content. Can you feel the wind in your hair?

A Content Writing Strategy Takes Your Blog To the Next Level

Lori Pendleton — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 15:11:00 GMT

Bill Gates said it best: "Content is King". But it can't be all-powerful without a well-planned strategy behind it.

Many blogs are so focused on building content that they forget to create a content writing strategy around it. The result is a blog with no focus, no connection to current events, and no relationship with the brand it's trying to build.

But if you follow these tips, you'll create content that keeps your blog high on the must-read list.

Create a content schedule.

Chapters in books follow one another. They might not be about the exact same thing, but they're part of a larger narrative. Treat your blog the same way.

Creating a schedule of what you plan to write at what time will keep your blog on a consistent track. It serves a number of uses:

It prevents procrastination: If a blog goes ignored for too long, it looks neglected, gets outdated, and eventually goes unread
It reduces repetition: By picking topics ahead of time, you avoid writing about the same thing twice in a row, which keeps your blog fresh and dynamic
It forces you to think ahead: Instead of living from day to day, you look ahead to upcoming trends, industry events, or product launches, all of which make great blog topics

But you don't have to set your blog in stone. Stick to your schedule, but leave enough room for things like breaking news or last-minute updates.

Follow the news in and out of your field.

A content writing strategy requires looking forward, but it also requires looking outside your corner of the world.

Even if you're great at following developments in your specific niche, you still need to keep an eye out for other news in your industry, your company, and the entire world. It's one of the best ways to help you generate ideas for future entries.

It also presents a great branding opportunity. Imagine being the person who knows how faraway, seemingly unrelated events might impact your area of interest. That skill can bolster your reputation as an expert in your field, and expertise always draws more traffic.

Follow the competition.

Whatever you're writing about, other people are writing about the same thing. You need to follow those people, because chances are they're already following you.

Competitive intelligence is vital for nearly every business on the planet. It keeps businesses from making the same products, offering the same services, and basically becoming copycats of one another.

To build a strong content writing strategy, you need to know what other bloggers are writing about. What's their take on events? What tone of voice do they use? Do they present the facts or deliver commentary? Find out what fellow bloggers are doing and then differentiate yourself by doing something else.

Get your keywords straight.

Your followers might be loyal and true, but they can only click on so many times. To bring people to your site, you have to fill your blogs with keywords and key phrases.

This can be done through every other step of your strategy. When creating a schedule, use keywords in your topic ideas. Look at news stories and match their content against the hottest keywords. Follow your competitors' blogs and see which words they underline and which phrases they match to a hyperlink.

But remember, FILL your blog with keywords; don't STUFF it. Keywords should come naturally from the text, especially in the title. They also need to be specific enough to appear with strongly relevant pages in search results, thus increasing the chances of clicks.

Everyone is looking for good online content, so a content writing strategy that ensures you deliver GREAT content is the key to a strong web presence.

6 Ways To Create Buyer Personas For Content Development

Jody Pellerin — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 17:33:00 GMT

Who do you want to consume your content? If you don’t know, you are simply shooting in the dark. You need to define the exact person who has the exact problem that your product or content will solve. You need to create a buyer persona so you have someone specific to develop your content for.

A buyer persona (aka user persona or marketing persona) is the archetype of your ideal customer. Or as Conversation Marketing calls it, your imaginary friend. It embodies enough information to make that persona seem like someone you actually know or could work with.

The trick is to get the persona together in order to proceed with content development.

Who is she?
What motivates her?
What is her title?
What are her responsibilities?
What are her hobbies?
What is her daily goal? (not necessarily the exact problem she needs solved right now)
Is she an experience tech user?
Is she the decision maker or is she a researcher?

Where can you get this type of detail?

1.) Interview Current Customers

Speak to your current customers, especially the newest ones. Find out:

What are their basic demographics and psychographics?
What problem did they need to solve?
What tipped the scales to make them pursue a resolution? (What broke them out of status quo?)Who are their influencers?
Where do they go to do research? Where do they get trusted information?
How do they like to consume content?

These are all questions that anyone selling a product or service needs to know about their ideal customer.

2.) Keyword Research

What words are people using to find your site? The terms that lead them to your door tell you about the type of problem they have, the questions they need answered. These terms can spark development of specific content to address those topics while painting you as an authority or thought leader, someone they know has the answers they seek.

3.) Website Behavior

Access to a good analytics program, such as Google Analytics, can tell you a great deal about someone’s agenda as he accesses information on your site:

What pages were visited most?
Where did he spend the most time?
How long did he stay on your site?
How did he get to your site? What is the referring URL?

4.) Study Competitors and Industry Resources.

Look to your competitors and learn what content they offer the customer you are competing for. Read trade publications, blogs, reports, and other content to get ideas about topics that are currently on everyone’s mind and what problems they have. This can also give you a hint about the style of content development that is preferred, how technical it needs to be, and how it is best presented.

5.) Check Professional Networks

Specialized social networks and forums are treasure troves of information about what your customer needs to know and how he communicates. Every industry has a community that interacts to learn and offer information, often on problems that are current, on-going, or urgent. Here is your chance to create content that speaks to immediate industry issues.

6.) Talk to Sales and Customer Support

These people need to be part of the cross functional team to create the persona for content development. If sales doesn’t know your ideal customer, you need a new sales force. Between sales and service, most of the problems facing your ideal customer have already been identified in some manner and point to problems new or future customers may experience. Content development must proactively address those concerns.

Put all this information together. Give your persona a name: MedTech Tilly, Programmer Pete, Bob the CEO, something to help along the illusion of personhood and allow your empathy and imagination to interact with this persona as if it was a person of flesh and blood. This empathy will inform your content to make it eminently consumable to your ideal customer.

One last thing…none of this is set in stone. As with all marketing campaigns, you need to test your content and tweak it as data comes in that tells you what is working and what isn’t. Your persona may get tweaked too as the definition of your ideal customer is made richer over time.

A buyer persona gives you someone specific to write for rather than a nameless, faceless stranger. Knowing what your ideal customer may ask, need, or have a problem with creates a pathway to earning her trust and her business.

Good Content, Or Great Content? What's The Difference?

Jennah Mitchell — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 16:35:00 GMT

In the discipline of content development, adjectives such as "good," "great," "engaging," "thorough," and "excellent" are often thrown around with little thought to what those words truly mean.

In fact, with so many websites offering up severely sub-par and grammatically painful content, it is no wonder that the average person's gauge for what makes content "good" is rarely an accurate viewpoint. To better understand the difference between content that is merely good and content that is truly great, let's look at three key areas of comparison:

1. Verbiage

2. Style

3. Research

In terms of verbiage, content development often teeters on the edge of language that is far too cavalier and relaxed for the intended audience and language that is much more advanced and technical than what the subject matter requires. This is especially true of content mill-type writing that focuses solely on quantity over the overall quality of a piece of written work.

The ability to accurately pinpoint both the needs of the target market as well as the way that market best receives information is what separates the proverbial "men from the boys." in terms of content development greatness. Anyone can take a topic and write about it, both in low and high-quality verbiage, but the difference between good and great content comes in taking the extra step and defining what words will make the highest impact and, also, understanding why.

With style, the same is also true, although content development and style tend more toward the side of knowing how a target audience will best receive the information given. Age range plays a large role in this, as does political and religious views. For example, if a dental office is looking to write a blog post about the benefits of their new teeth-whitening service, they must first make sure that their verbiage lines up with their clientele. Then comes the points of style.

If their target audience is families and young people, a good stylistic tactic may be to weave an engaging storyline into their text that will appeal to the family-oriented, value-driven aspects that fits the stereotype of that audience. Likewise, if their target market is business execs and middle-aged people, they may want to approach their content with a style that is more indicative of importance, the value of teeth aesthetics to their careers, and more.

Finally, in regards to research, the line between good content and great content becomes quite apparent. Either content and the desired audience was well researched or it was not. This makes all the difference in the world, especially in industries with a highly discerning and intuitive customer base.

While research does play a role in determining what verbiage and style to use, it really comes into play in determining the how and why for the content in the first place. Good content, while well-written and perhaps even very relevant, will miss the mark when it comes to its ability to be passed on from person to person. Great content has the ability to relate to people deeply, urging them to share it with their friends, family, and co-workers.

Research Is King: How To Use It To Build Trust With Your Content

Jody Pellerin — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 18:23:00 GMT

One of the best content marketing tips you can follow is making certain your blog is considered authoritative and useful. Your readers will think of you as a trusted resource to return to and recommend to their contacts.

You must do research.

First, you need to determine what type of topic you have:

Hard research: scientific, objective, using proven facts and showing evidence.
Soft research: more subjective and opinion based.
Combined soft and hard research: requires proven facts as well as the ability to sway opinion when debating others over the topic.

Once this is decided, you need to choose which resources are appropriate to use. For hard research this will mean academic journals, peer-reviewed research, news from reliable media sources, and other sources of facts. Soft research can include the use of review sites, opinion blogs, blogs and articles from amateur practitioners, and forums.

To find research online, it is helpful to use different search engines and sets of keywords to either enlarge or narrow your search results. Most people go to Google first, and it is a very large search engine with a lot of power. But don’t forget about search engines like Bing and About.com that present results differently or may even show results not immediately visible in a large engine like Google.

Some good research content marketing tips: put keywords in different orders and use Boolean operators if the search engine will allow it to bring up more qualified results. And when you find great content for your industry, bookmark it, because you will want to return to it for future posts and content of your own.

Now, to maintain trust in your blog, you need to make certain the resources you use are authoritative and trustworthy:

Consider the author and the source.
Check the publication date (older content may no longer be accurate).
Watch out for content that appears authoritative but contains a lot of advertising.Be wary of individual comments in forums or at the end of other blog posts.
Check backlinks to the page to see who else may be referring to it. If those sites with links to the page appear authoritative then the page itself is probably trustworthy. More here...

Wikipedia, itself an occasional source of misinformation, nevertheless offers content guidelines to its authors and editors to help them identify reliable sources. In many ways these guidelines harken back to all those rules you learned in high school English about citation, my next point.

It isn’t enough to simply present the information once you have found it and determined that it is reliable, authoritative, and useful. You must also give credit where credit is due. Take the time to cite your resources. Not only does this give credit where it is due, it also shows you are a savvy thought-leader who knows where to go and who to ask for the best information. The citation itself could be an excellent source of SEO and link juice as well.

More seriously, properly citing your resources will keep accusations of plagiarism at bay. This cannot be stressed enough:

Do not plagiarize.

This is the same as stealing and can label your blog as an untrustworthy source as well as one lacking moral fiber, something most people value even if they don’t come out and say so. It can also bring on legal challenges.

Some final content marketing tips from Modern Media:

Presentation is important, too. Make it easy for your readers to see where the information came from by including a link to the original study or paper, providing the date it was performed in the content of your post, and information on the methodology and sampling information. Make certain all charts are clearly and accurately labeled with both title and axis labeling.

And keep it interesting by telling a story with your research. Stories are why narrative histories survived as long as they did before the written word was available. A story, with a beginning, middle, and end, sticks with your readers much longer than lists of dry statistics.

Bring the material alive and not only will your blog be considered the go-to place for information, it will also be become known as a good read. This makes it much more likely that people will return and tell their friends about you.

How To Create Innovative Content That Captures Readers

Jennah Mitchell — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 16:38:00 GMT

As a writer who specializes in helping clients make the most out of their content development and marketing strategies, you know that getting someone to glance at content you create is the easy part. Capturing those readers and engaging them for longer than a brief moment is what separates innovative content from an average web presence.

Before talking about how to create such content, we need to touch on what is at the heart of innovation itself. By definition, the word "innovative" means "introducing something new; to invent; to apply changes to something that already exists."

For content development, this means being able to be at the forefront of communication. It's easy to bring up the rear - to end a conversation or to repeat what someone else has spent time researching and presenting to the world. It's something else entirely to "innovate" and think ahead to what will be relevant in the near future.

As a general rule, here are some tips for developing innovative content that captures readers:

Take time for a good old-fashioned brainstorming session. Great ideas are often the by-product of an altogether different conversation - do not be afraid to ask crazy questions and posit crazy solutions; you never know when that will lead to a content development breakthrough.
Know your audience inside and out. If you really get what drives them and know how they best receive information, you are well equipped to innovate within that target market with a high probability for success.
If you are truly excited about both your writing and the company you write for, chances are that your passion will shine through. True passion reaches out and grabs people, begging them to listen up to what you have to say.

Innovation is, by design, simply creative thinking that is not afraid to take a risk. Develop this ability and you will be well on our way to developing content for your clients that will reap dividends in the staying power of their readers.

3 Simple Steps To Better Content Development

Susan Davis — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 15:19:00 GMT

When it comes to web content development, it's a given in the online business world that website information is critical, from a marketing perspective. Yet, web content can often become an afterthought for many businesses.

The key to success for any web business is that it provides information that is engaging, readable and useful to its readership, website visitors, and existing and potential customers. The bottom line is that useful web content is a part of winning at Google's algorithm. Three essential steps to better content development include:

1. Web Content Development Strategy

Every online business should have a web content development strategy. Content strategy includes analyzing, creating and publishing the most appropriate, useful and current content possible. This process begins by developing web content around pre-established goals. The type of information chosen to display on a website is every bit as important as the services and products offered. This applies to all of the text -- from photos and descriptions, to external articles and references. Take time to develop a strategy that specifically applies to the business of the website.

2. Research

The first step in web content development strategy is research. Find out what your existing customers want to know -- and what potential customers are seeking. Visit forums and popular websites like Digg, Reddit and Stumbleupon, to see what is being discussed. Research to find your particular target audience questions from high traffic websites like Yahoo!
Answers and try searching general keywords in a few search engines.

Collect the questions being asked and add to them with more that you can think of. Craft some pre-sale and post-sale questions people may have. Use social bookmark feeds to find information about relevant topics.

Keep in mind what Google SEO guru, Matt Cutts says about web content: “Have a well rounded site: great content has to be the foundation of any good site because mediocre content tends not to attract exceptional links by itself, and if your trying to get exceptional links on crappy content, your going to be pushing up hill. It’s much better to have great content where you get those links naturally, then you have both.

Rather than having something that’s not that interesting and trying to push, push, push and bug people and send out spam emails asking for links and those sorts of things. So a well rounded site has interesting, useful content, great resources, great information and then that naturally attracts links.”

3. Keep Website Content Current

Once a website is well-designed and operating, it needs to be regularly updated and kept current. This third aspect of the web content development strategy will keep websites fresh in the eyes of web visitors, as well as relevant for major search engines, such as Google. This means everything from basic web design, to photos and text links, product and service descriptions and articles with external references. Use resources that are respectable that can be backed up easily.

Keeping website content current will ensure that your business stays relevant against what is often the noise of many information channels across a large distribution system. It might be akin to several radio stations playing the same tunes. To get people interested, stations could begin playing something different and unique. To do that, they would find out what their target audience was interested in listening to.

Providing genuinely unique information that may be used in many ways is the most time effective approach, in an effective web content development strategy. For example, an article is crafted into a short blog post, with the most essential information. A collection of customer comments and tweets could become an article. Articles are expanded into white papers, and so forth. Every type of web content can be turned into another form of information, since cyberspace is an ever-evolving development platform.

Websites should have some connection to an identity, or brand, with images and words that flow effortlessly. Without proper web content development planning and attention, the service or product will appear unfocused, generic or dull. It is the unique branding identity that sets products and services apart. The web content development strategy, with the ability to get it implemented, is what will produce the best online business results.

It is usually lack of guidance or time that keeps web businesses from developing a proper web content development strategy. Therefore, it is well worth the marketing expenditure for business owners to hire professionals who can regularly and consistently deliver the best and most useful web content that can be produced.

Website Copy, Or Content? What's the Difference?

Jennah Mitchell — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 16:09:00 GMT

In a world that is growing more connected and Internet-driven by the minute, maintaining a consistent, informative, and engaging content marketing presence is vital to continued success. One of the most important things for writers to understand is the difference between content and copy, as well as the importance of seamlessly blending the two together.

First, let's look at the differences between website copy and website content:

Copy is verbiage - phrases, sentences, paragraphs, and even huge blocks of text that serve to inform readers through the use of written words.
Content is dynamic and versatile - while copy is a form of content, mediums such as podcasts, videos, graphic images, and more all fit the content bill as well.
Copy has boundaries based on the rules of grammar and language.
Content is highly open-ended and able to be creatively tweaked to fit a variety o presentations and uses.

Now, a look at how the two could potentially work together to create an engaging and memorable website presence:

Whatever a client's business industry or target audience may be, they will have a distinct brand, mission, and purpose. Often, they will also have developed a culture defined by words or symbols that helps to further define their business and service offerings. When website copy combines with creative content, that brand and that culture can be conveyed powerfully through videos, text, and images that repeat and reflect the key company points. This helps legitimize them to their customers and makes it easier for those customers to understand exactly what that company is all about.
Often, a company's website content and copy will be used in other marketing campaigns. This can include billboard ads, trade show booths, and much, much more. A successful blend of website copy and content will enable the company's marketing to move seamlessly from one medium to another, and such a blend is indicative of excellent work on the part of you, the writer.

So what does this mean for writers like you? It means that understanding the difference between website copy and content will bring added value to your clients and will set you apart from the rest of your colleagues. It moves you beyond being a writer of simple text to a position of marketing and content creation authority.

As an expert in this valuable field, you will be an asset you the companies you work for and will be able to help those companies deliver their messages and present themselves to the world in the best manner possible.

5 Tips For Writing An Ebook They Can't Put Down

Jesse Schmitt — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 15:07:00 GMT

Writing an ebook is an exercise in understanding your audience and understanding the format. Ebook writing has become very popular with the explosion of ereaders. But is ebook writing actually the future of the format? Books have been around for hundreds of years; the ebook is a comparative infant.

You as a writer can capitalize on this trend and make a name for yourself if you follow these steps to ebook writing:

Know Your Audience. Ebook readers are not necessarily who you would think. Many younger people forego the format altogether in lieu of searching out their own truth from their own search. Ebook readers are busy people who don’t have time to sift through the morass of information available everywhere. If you speak to your audience and you give them information they hadn’t had before, your ebook will be a compelling read.

Answer the Question. People haven’t embraced the ereader much in the way that marketers first thought. There still are worn out paperback books on beaches all over the world. But people who do read ebooks generally have a problem or question. If you help them solve the problem or answer the question, your ebook will soar off the virtual shelves and make you a very reputable commodity. The question has to be complex enough to warrant someone buying your ebook but not so complicated that the ebook reader has to invest hours and hours to get to the answer.

Become the Expert. Even though you may not begin writing your ebook as the expert, the process of writing and revision and uncovering information should make you such. Do your due diligence, learn the facts, check and double check, and report back your findings. As long as you speak the truth and you back that truth up with verifiable information from credible sources, you will be the only expert your ebook audiences need.

Tease. Like so many other things in life, the value of your ebook is attributed to the level of chatter surrounding it before anyone has even read it. In order to make getting to the end of your ebook the readers objective, you have to start this process long before they’ve even heard of you or your ebook. You have to tease out some revelation or understanding which can get the people talking. Then, of course, you have to deliver on that promise. There is nothing worse than unfulfilled expectation.

Marketing/Social Media. One of the best ways to generate buzz is to create a mythology for your work. Long before your ebook is even available, social media can have people clamoring as though your ebook were answering the questions of life itself. Social media creates the perfect venue for you as the writer to expand your existing audience around the topic of your ebook. As the authority through social media, you have all the power to make compelling persuasion for fans of your work to pick up and push forward your ebook.

10 SEO Writing Tips For Lead Generation

Rachael Priest — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 15:19:00 GMT

Excellent SEO writing requires a great deal of work, research, and attention to detail. When you add the end goal of marketing for lead generation to the mix, it becomes a delicate balance of compelling content, proper grammar, clever keyword use, and persuasive style.

Outstanding SEO writing for lead generation is highly valuable to your clients, as well as to your own freelance business. Follow these 10 SEO writing tips and watch as your marketing content becomes more effective:

Know What You’re Selling

Whether it is an informational product or the latest, greatest high-tech gadget, you will not produce very compelling content if you do not know anything about the product. Take the time to get to know the product by researching, reading customer reviews, and asking the manufacturer questions whenever possible. In short, become an expert before you ever touch the keyboard.

Know Your Market

You would not try to sell a tractor to a New York business executive. It does not matter how persuasive your SEO writing is; the executive would neither be interested in nor have a need for such an item. When you are using SEO writing techniques to generate leads, it is important to focus on targeting qualified leads. These are people who would be interested in the product and have a need for it.

Know How to Relate

Once you have established who your targeted market is, you need to understand how to relate to them on their own level. If you are targeting average income households, do not use jargon that high-paid professionals use. You want to bond with your audience with your writing, not alienate them.

Know Your Approach

You must remember that you are not actually trying to sell the product at this point; you simply want to entice the reader to take further action. This action may be filling out a contact form, signing up for a free report, or clicking on a link.

This is where many writers encounter trouble with their lead generation content. You need to provide enough information that the reader is intrigued to take action, but not so much that there is nothing left to learn. Be careful not to browbeat the reader; you could risk deterring them from investigating the product further. This is where that delicate balance is so crucial. Practice is key.

Empathize with Your Readers

As you are crafting your content, it is prudent to consider the questions and concerns your targeted audience might have. Ask yourself what you would want to know if you were considering this product, and then answer those questions in the appropriate tone. Provide as much detail as possible without giving away the big picture.

Write for Your Readers First

Before you go crazy with SEO practices, be mindful of the fact that search engines are not actually reading your content: your audience is. Keep thoughts organized, cohesive, comprehensive, and relevant. Avoid overwhelming your readers with long sentences and paragraphs. Break up the text with lists and strong subheadings so that it is easier to digest.

Pass on Passive Voice

Passive voice is poor grammar; it is also confusing to readers. You want your audience to take action. It is very difficult to motivate action with passive writing. Always use active voice when generating leads.

Hook Your Readers

If you are going to turn casual browsers into valuable leads, you have got to sell them on the idea that your product is unique, valuable, and highly beneficial for them. Provide examples of how the product is innovative. Give charts and statistics when available. Include testimonials from other customers. Make it irresistible to your readers.

The Power of Psychology

One tried and true marketing technique is creating a sense of urgency in your readers. Simply adding language such as “for a limited time only” triggers an instant reaction in the mind that compels your reader to take action. Use it.

Adding the SEO

Now it is time to add your SEO to your writing. Go through your content and find places that you can work in your keywords naturally. If you have to restructure a sentence or two to make it work, then do so. Add meta tags and descriptions and promote your content.

Excellent SEO writing for lead generation is writing that focuses on your targeted audience first. Only after you have created this compelling content should you incorporate your SEO power. The result will be high quality content that is motivating, captivating, and high ranking.

10 Proven SEO Copywriting Tactics For Better Link Building

Susan Davis — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 15:35:00 GMT

By nature, search engine optimization (SEO), involves designing websites to improve natural search placement on search engine results pages (SERPs). SEO copywriting that optimizes for terms that the websites's target audience uses to search, can drive the most relevant traffic to the website.

Driving traffic is what it's all about. If you want a better conversion rate, more potential customers and higher sales, try these proven SEO tactics:

Determine key concepts. Before writing, figure out which words that the people desired to visit the website will use. Check to see which words come up in the major search engines when you type in a generic product or service name that matches what the website is focused on. Then use these essential words on relevant webpages. Use the keywords in the first section line of the page title, for the best search engine indexing.
Study SEO sources. Learn about how to use SEO copywriting techniques from trusted resources. New information is available regularly, so it is important to keep abreast of new developments and trends. For example, choose sources such as SEO guru, Matt Cutts' blog, and Search Engine Land.
Use keywords in page headers. Engaging and creative headlines that incorporate keywords will do a great deal to help drive organic website traffic. Even the most persuasive headlines really need keywords as much as possible. When images are used, place keywords in and around the image. Write keyword text for the headline image, and put generic keywords elsewhere on the webpage.
Develop captions with keywords. Using text-based captions allows for more keywords for SEO copywriting. Make sure the keywords match those that you found while conducting research. This keyword strategy allows for another chance to influence search engine results.
Pay attention to word order. When it comes to SEO copywriting, because of how search engines read and index webpages, word order means a lot. After doing keyword research, use the words that show up first in the beginning of your web text. Favor the most popular words for the most effective SEO copywriting.
Watch singular and plural word usage. When consumers search, they usually use both singular and plural forms of words. Often, different results will come within the top three to five Google results. This is why it is so important to understand which keywords are the most relevant. This way, SEO copywriting may be written accordingly. This applies to all web copy, such as tags, headers and headlines.
Structure copy length. For some SEO copywriting, 300-400 words is sufficient. Longer web copy provides more of an opportunity to go into detail about benefits and attributes about the service or product. Some of these things are not readily apparent, and when consumers learn from web content, they have a tendency to respect it more. This can lead to more return website visitors.

This also allows for the chance to really differentiate a firm’s services and products, which helps with branding. From a marketing standpoint, there is a greater chance to become an influencer in cyberpsace. Longer copy is also great for search engine discovery.
Design an internal linking strategy. This can assist the search robots to find other web content from a website. Anchor text in links can also be effective for SEO copywriting. Before writing begins, learn which web pages should be linked to and from the copy. Determine which is the best anchor text for each proposed link. Then it is possible to incorporate that text for more seamless copy.

Waiting until after the website is completed to do the internal linking will mean that copy written previously will need to be edited. The copy should flow easily through the anchor text. Read articles such as the SEOmoz blog's Brainstorming Your Link-Building Strategy to learn more.
Review your content to ensure that it is engaging and straightforward. This will make it more relevant to readers, and more discoverable to the major search engines. The most effective web content has a higher crawlability rate, with relevant topics that search engines will understand and find. In this way, a website has the best chance of being indexed within the top rungs of the search engine ladder, so that people will find the website sooner than others.
Remember that web content is king. SEO copywriting is an art that relies upon technical knowledge, research, and creativity. Each webpage, from the sitemap to the overall design, uses word structures that relate to search engine discovery. Take the time to plan out the web content, keeping in mind which web page it is for. Always understand what the goal is.

So, Your Client Wants Mobile Website Content?

Susan Davis — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 19:11:00 GMT

With the expansive rise of global mobile device use, comes more demand for mobile website content. Developing website content that is accessible from mobile devices has become a priority for web writers, online marketers and anyone else doing business on the Internet.

The digital device imposes certain parameters that are different than traditional PCs and laptops. For example, mobile devices generally have much smaller screens. This makes viewing content on them quite different than on larger computers.

Mobile Website Content Accessibility

Delivering web content for mobile devices involves making it more accessible to account for all of the mobile platform idiosynchrasies. For example, the content should be easy to read, and informative enough for the person on the go to get and keep their interest.

The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), a community of international advertisers, content providers and search engine experts, has developed a web page tool to determine its "level of mobile-friendliness." The mobileOK checker performs basic tests as defined in its specially designed criteria. Using the W3C tool could be an effective method to assist in the design of specific mobile website content.

Social Media Networking

Social media is an important aspect of mobile website content. As time spent and individuals engaged on social networking sites continues to grow, social media has become one of the more interactive online arenas. Mobile website content marketing techniques include understanding how mobile device users are accessing commentary, sharing information and building upon conversations, media and ideas. For businesses, this means that the social media channels must be incorporated into any mobile website content plan.

Mobile Website Content and Social Communications

Web writers and online marketers must focus on developing an effective online marketing strategy that includes social media, customer service and other revenue-generating techniques. Doing this can serve to enhance the relationship between companies and customers, while attracting new business.

The Yankee Group has conducted research in its Social Media Means Serious Business report, which examines how social media has changed consumer behavior and assesses what web writers, online marketers and businesses can do toward succeeding in the connected media world.

For example, 70 percent of the surveyed consumers wished to use social media websites to view real-time company experts in areas of technical and customer support, and billing. The majority of surveyed consumers also indicated that consistent communication with businesses through social networking sites improved their loyalty. An even higher majority of those surveyed believe that businesses should regularly review social media sites to be aware of how people feel about them and what they are saying.

Social Media Marketing

Social media platforms offer businesses and users unique benefits through participation, depending upon solutions commonly used. Online social participation includes special advertising and promotional opportunities that web writers should learn about from online marketers, in order to effectively develop mobile website content.

With a well-designed social media marketing (SMM) strategy, the social media platforms which offer the highest return on investment will be identified. This SMM strategy may be used to build community, in branding and for business visibility. For mobile content, this could mean providing valuable information, with coupons and specially developed offers that can drive up website visits and sales.

Business Growth and Reputation

The mobile website content used in an SMM can also have a huge impact in monitoring online business reputations, to ensure that a positive presence exists. This is accomplished by supporting constructive interactive conversations between customers and businesses.

According to the program director BIA/Kelsey’s Mobile Local Media Practice, Michael Boland, users of the mobile Internet will surpass traditional computer users by 2015. Therefore, web writers and online marketers should focus on using mobile tools for businesses, that focuses on optimizing websites for the mobile user community.

As the advent of this is led mostly Smartphone penetration, mobile website content should gear toward this particular landscape. For example, designing content for people on the go who are using their devices to find information quickly and easily would be an area to target fully.

Online marketers and web writers could assist small online business owners greatly by working to guide sales reps and clients through the mobile website space, by developing engaging and target-specific content. The development of functional mobile content that consumers may discover through Apps, for example, could do a lot toward building brands, by tapping built-in audiences.

Mobile website content should focus on consumers searching from mobile devices in buying mode, who want an instant connection in real-time with local businesses.

Is Your Press Release Content Panda-Friendly?

Lori Pendleton — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 15:34:00 GMT

You write press releases to get attention, but what worked in traditional media might not be as effective in the online world.

When SEO first became a common practice, many marketers took this idea to heart - so much so that press releases chock full of hot keywords could be found anywhere and everywhere on the Internet, whether they had anything relevant to report or not.

Then came Panda, which separated high-quality press release content from spam, and suddenly it became important to have something newsworthy to say.

While this was great for those with real news, they still didn't have the know-how necessary to take full advantage of the post-Panda world they found themselves in. So now, the challenge is to write press release content that's topical, relevant and ranks high in Internet searches.

Here are a few tips for making sure your press releases get the online attention they deserve.

1. Focus on site quality, not quantity.
Remember how, in pre-web days, you didn't send press releases to every single newspaper editor you could find, but rather you focused on those who might see interest in it? Don't throw that principle out the window just to get more eyeballs on your press release content. Instead of sending your press release to EVERY distribution platform, focus on the high-quality platforms that generate better leads and can result in higher click-throughs.

2. Use the same strategy with what you publish.
One of the things Panda did was to separate meaningful press releases from spam and other "junk" releases. If you write one press release after another, chances are a lot of those releases will go unnoticed. Instead of churning out one release after another, save them for when you actually have something to report. Not only will it get through Panda's filters, it'll also set you apart as a quality content provider. That's a pretty good image to have.

3. Don't forget your keywords.
There are lots of analytics tool online and even offline that will tell you which keywords are most relevant to your business or offer. Use them as often as possible, and once you get a strong keyword list in place, add as many keywords as possible to each release, including (and especially) the headline and metatags. This ensures that your release will rank high in search engines.

Keep in mind that the release still needs to be readable and engaging, so make sure the keywords fit nicely into the message of the release.

4. Add relevant hyperlinks.
If one of the goals of your press release is to drive traffic to your site, why not make it easy to go there? Ideally, you'll always link to your homepage, as well as your social media sites. Other links depend on the topic of the press release. If it's about a product or service, link to that page of your site. If it's about a person, link to his or her bio. And if it's about a topic in the news, find a link to a relevant article and add that. Don't worry, it won't detract from your story - if anything, your release might end up in someone else's release later.

5. Measure and optimize.
Your press release content might be getting a lot of hits, but there's no reason it can't get more. A good analytics tool will show you how much traffic you're generating and where you generate it. This will help you refine subsequent campaigns in that it will show you where you're getting the most attention, what kind of viewers are responding, and even which keywords seem to be most effective. Like marketing strategies, PR strategies can always be improved with the right data.

Remember, press releases are meant to generate publicity, so make sure you're using the right strategies to get as much publicity as possible.