Does your company have a marketing department that asks for copies of articles to use in their content marketing campaigns? If so, you might be wondering how to write a good copy with a specific, measurable objective – to meet sales goals and drive traffic to your website.
The fact is that content marketing, whether it’s SEO content or in-house produced content such as whitepapers, case studies, and webinars, is taking over the marketing department. Marketers are discovering the benefits of producing quality content to attract, engage, and convert potential customers into paying customers.
While you might be tempted to rush out a press release to announce your new product or service and pray that someone clicks on your news story to find out more, creating quality content that helps your potential customers solve problems or achieve goals is a better strategy.
If you’re looking to take your marketing content strategy to the next level, checking out how other businesses in your industry are solving problems and achieving success is a good place to start.
Start With The End In Mind
One of the first rules of writing is to start with the end in mind. You wouldn’t write a novel without a plan first, would you?
You’re writing for a reason, and the reason needs to be evident in the finished product. Before you begin writing, consider what you’re trying to achieve and how you’ll know it’s succeeded. The better your starting point, the better your end product. Your goal should always be to write something that is both unique and helpful to your potential customers. Remember: Content marketing is all about delivering value and not just pitching your product.
Understand Your Reader
Your target audience is the person you’re writing to. Before you begin hammering out your strategy, ask yourself questions about who you’re trying to reach and what they want. The better you understand your audience’s needs and wants, the better your strategy will be. You can’t write for the sake of writing. Your strategy and the type of content you provide should always reflect your target audience’s needs and expectations. To get the most out of your content, put yourself in your reader’s shoes and ask yourself questions. What do I need to know that I don’t already know? What do I expect from this content? What are my goals and objectives?
Create An Outline
Outlining is crucial to any good writer’s arsenal. Whether you’re writing a novel, story, or other formal piece, creating an outline first will help you figure out the structure and form of your piece. Some people prefer to write without an outline, but you’re bound to end up with some confusion later on when you try to follow a plot twist or change of scene. The key to a successful story is to follow an outline – whether you wrote it down or developed it mentally – and be as flexible as possible with your writing. The less you think about the story as you’re writing, the better. You can always go back and revise as you progress.
Edit, Edit, Edit
The best way to write a good article is to edit it mercilessly. It’s easy to get carried away with your first draft and forget about any mistakes you might have made in the writing process. Once you’ve completed your final draft, take the time to go back through your work and correct any errors. A good edit will make your writing better than it ever was before. Don’t be afraid to edit out any unnecessary words or phrases. The fewer words you use, the easier it is to understand what you’re saying. Fewer words also means shorter articles and blog posts that are more suitable for searches and faster loading times.
Use Metaphors, Similes, And Analogies
These are just a few of the many tools that even experienced writers use to make their writing more creative and engaging. In your articles and other marketing content, you have a wonderful opportunity to educate your audience about your industry. Use metaphors, similes, and analogies to paint a clearer picture for your readers. Through creative writing, you can demonstrate your expertise and make your articles more interesting and easy to understand. You might compare your product to something similar or use an example from your own industry to explain how your product is better. Inventing new ways of comparing your product to other products is one of the best ways to make your writing more original and interesting.
Make It Easy
When someone encounters a word or concept that they’re not familiar with, it can be very difficult to follow the writer’s instructions. In addition to using new words and concepts, make sure that your language is easy to understand. If you find that your copy is a bit too technical or difficult to follow, then it could be a good idea to reword it or use simpler language. If this is the first time your audience has encountered your industry or your particular product, then you may want to consider investing in a professional editor to polish your work.
There are many different aspects to marketing a product or service, and if you’re looking to take your marketing efforts to the next level then you might want to take a look at how other businesses in your industry are solving similar problems. By finding a template or model that works well, you can adjust and apply it to your situation. Don’t be afraid to think outside of the box and find innovative ways to market your product or service. What other tactics can you employ to attract potential customers?