SEO optimizing your blog posts in WordPress is a must-do for earning rankings, wooing targeted traffic, and nabbing blog ROI.
After all, if you spend all that time producing a wonderful piece of content, you need to give it legs to stand on.
Without SEO, you’ll put that blog at a disadvantage from the start.
On the other hand, optimize correctly, and Big Things are more likely to happen. (See our case study below of ranking for a super-hot keyword in 30 days.)
If your blog is set up in WordPress, SEO optimizing a blog post before publishing is incredibly easy to do.
You just need to know what to do.
Here are the 8 steps to use every single time you publish a post to thoroughly hit all those “SEO check marks.” As you’ll see, you can optimize every single element of your blog — from top to bottom – and get more out of every blog you publish.
(Note: While this how-to applies to WordPress, specifically the classic editor, you can take these general steps and use them with whatever publishing platform you please.)
How to SEO Optimize Blog Posts in WordPress: 8 Steps
7. Optimize and Add Meta Title and Description with Yoast
8. Optimize Your Blog for Social Sharing with Yoast (Yes, Yoast Does That!)
[bctt tweet=”Get more traffic and pull in more customers by ranking at Google’s top. This checklist ? will help you go that extra mile — 8 steps on how to SEO optimize every blog post in @WordPress, via @JuliaEMcCoy” username=”ExpWriters”]
Why SEO Optimize Your Blogs in WordPress? A Case Study
Why take all the trouble to search engine optimize your blogs?
Like we referenced earlier, Big Things Will Happen.
Case in point.
We have over 1,300+ blogs published on the Express Writers’Write Blog across ten years, which have earned over 21,000 keyword positions in Google (case study here). 90% of the blogs I write and publish here start with a keyword search. If I can map the keyword to ROI, we take it into the blog creation stages.
Here’s a specific blog post example. We have earned a #1 organic ranking and featured snippet for the keyword “how to build a digital content strategy.” (Even our custom-designed images for the blog are ranking in Google Images!)
One key player for this blog’s ranking power is the work we did on optimization before publishing. From the title to the copy to the subheaders to the images, CTAs, links, metas, and more, everything is optimized for search engines.
Search success is a big deal, but I don’t need to tell you. Over and over, brands that edge into top positions on SERPs get the lion’s share of the spoils, including higher click-through rates and more traffic.
Need great content to fuel your blogging presence? We offer packaged blogging plans. See pricing here.
According to Advanced Web Ranking, the CTR for organic position 1 on Google is 38.02%. Meanwhile, the CTR for position 10 is 1.13%.
Google alone processes over 40,000 search queries every second. If your brand isn’t present on the search landscape, you’re missing out on a huge piece of the traffic pie.
[bctt tweet=”.@Google processes over 40,000 search queries every second. If your brand isn’t present on the search landscape, you’re missing out on a huge piece of the traffic pie. ?” username=”ExpWriters”]
So, that begs the question: Are you covering all your SEO bases? Are you optimizing everything you can optimize to give your blogs their best chance?
How to SEO Optimize Blog Posts in WordPress: The “How-To” of Each of Our 8 Steps
1. Edit and Proofread Your Blog Post
First up: Make sure your blog is edited and proofread for typos.
A quick scan with your two eyeballs will usually suffice, but if you’re not the best editor, hand this task off to a trusted second party.
Or, install the Grammarly Chrome extension to check your grammar and spelling right inside the WordPress editor.
[bctt tweet=”‘First up: Make sure your blog is edited and proofread for typos. ✔️ You want a clean, error-free page for obvious reasons.’ – @JuliaEMcCoy on how to SEO optimize blog posts” username=”ExpWriters”]
2. Add Relevant Images to Your Blog
After editing, it’s time to add and optimize relevant images.
If you’re working from a draft, you should be able to add them into WordPress without a problem. Just place your cursor where you want the image to go, then drag it straight into the editor.
Once you’ve got pictures placed within your post, optimizing them goes like this:
Make sure they’re inserted correctly. Don’t place images so they mess with your paragraph formatting, and keep your image placement consistent (e.g. centered, in-between paragraphs).
Images should be original size to ensure they’re clear and crisp. Only size down if they’re huge or the file size is bloated (anything over 4-5 MB usually can be scaled back without sacrificing quality).
Add alternate text to every image. This is important for rankings! Alternate text is a descriptive text that provides context for people who are visually impaired or need to use a screen reader to browse the web. Alternate text (or “alt text”) describes your images to search engines, as well, so they’ll potentially show up in image searches. This is exactly what we saw with our own blog post from the aforementioned case study we talked about.
To add alt text to an image in the WordPress editor, click the image. A toolbar will pop up – click the “Edit” icon (the pencil) to add image properties like alt text.
[bctt tweet=”‘Images should be original size to ensure they’re clear and crisp. Only size down if they’re huge or the file size is bloated (anything over 4-5 MB). ✨’ – @JuliaEMcCoy on how to SEO optimize blogs.” username=”ExpWriters”]
3. Format the Content for Readability
Another must-do for SEO is formatting your blog posts for readability. These are the top considerations so people (and search engines) can read and understand your post easily:
Above all, be consistent. If you use auto-formatted bullet points, use them every time you need a bulleted list. If you format your subheaders with numbers, keep doing it throughout the post. Formatting consistency keeps things looking neat and clean, not to mention easier to read.
Fix your spacing. Remove double spacing after periods, add more paragraph breaks where your text looks dense, and ensure spacing around images is consistent.
Make sure all H2s, H3s, etc. are coded correctly (use WordPress’s formatting!).
[bctt tweet=”To make your blog posts SEO optimized, make them readable! @JuliaEMcCoy’s top 3 readability tips include being consistent in formatting, using spaces properly, and ensuring all headers are coded correctly. ” username=”ExpWriters”]
4. Add Easy One-Click Social Sharing Codes
For us at the Write Blog, Twitter is a huge platform for engagement. We’ve kept up a Twitter chat, #ContentWritingChat, for years now on Twitter that has helped us grow a solid Twitter presence.
So, knowing Twitter is a hot platform, we’ve chosen to use a plugin that enables us to add “Click to Tweets” to every post — which we do. These are punchy phrases or takeaways from the blog that readers can share to Twitter with one click.
Step 1: Know your platform (for us, that’s Twitter).
Step 2: Add a plug-in to your blog that will allow you to add manual shortcodes to every blog post that makes sharing super easy.
Step 3: Avoid sharing CTTs too early in a blog. I’ve seen this directly negatively impact us earning a Featured Snippets ranking! Don’t put too much code, or “stuff” above your first H2s and H3s.
To add your social-sharing codes, this couldn’t be easier – we use the Better Click to Tweet plugin for WordPress. This adds a little Twitter bird icon to the top of your WordPress editor. Click it to pull up this generator:
It will add Click to Tweet boxes to your blog post drafts with the correct code. When you publish, it will look like this:
Some tips for adding Click to Tweets to your posts:
Get creative! Sure, you could copy a bit of text straight from the blog, but why not reword it to make it more impactful, punchy, and/or powerful?
Make sure your tweets are readable. Eliminate any clunkiness.
Add emojis. A split test by Larry Kim of WordStream found that including an emoji in tweets increases engagement by 25.4%.
Don’t add them too early in your blog post to avoid messing with blog post SERP readability.
[bctt tweet=”SEO optimize your blog posts by adding easy one-click social sharing codes. ?? For clickable Click to Tweets, @JuliaEMcCoy advises to creatively reword blog quotes, make them readable, and add emojis. ” username=”ExpWriters”]
5. Check Your Links
Next up: Check those links.
For every link in your blog – whether it points to another site or links internally to your other blogs or web pages – make sure it works.
Broken links are a BIG no-no.
After that, make sure all links pointing off-site are set to open in a new window. That way, you won’t be directing readers off-page.
To edit a link in WordPress, click the link text. A toolbar will pop up. Then click the “edit” icon. (WordPress consistently uses the pencil icon ✏ to denote editing settings for any element.)
Your link will become editable text and a gear icon will pop up. Click it to access “Link options.”
Make sure the box next to “Open link in a new tab” is checked.
If you’re using the WordPress Block editor, this process is a smidge easier. All you have to do is click your link, then click the slider next to “Open in new tab”.
[bctt tweet=”Links are essential in every blog post you want to be SEO optimized. But don’t forget to be sure they’re all working and set to open in a new tab. Check out more of @JuliaEMcCoy’s tips in getting those blog posts SEO-ready.” username=”ExpWriters”]
Need great content to fuel your blogging presence? We offer packaged blogging plans. See pricing here.
6. Include a CTA
After you check the links, scroll to the end of your blog and make sure a CTA (call-to-action) is there.
At least one CTA in this location is key because it tells the reader what to do after they’ve finished consuming your awesome content. If you managed to build trust along the way, you don’t want to let that fly out the window. The CTA helps you capture the trust you’ve built and leads the reader into your marketing lifecycle.
On the Write Blog, every single post gets its own CTA. Sometimes it’s a text version with a link to one of our product pages, and sometimes it’s a clickable banner CTA, like the one below:
This one links to our pricing page. As long as you draw the reader further into your circle and the link is relevant to your post topic, your CTA can point to any internal page you want.
[bctt tweet=”CTAs are always a must in every blog post! They tell readers what to do after consuming your content, and guide them to your marketing lifecycle. ⛳ Learn more about @JuliaEMcCoy’s tips on how to SEO optimize your blog posts.” username=”ExpWriters”]
7. Add Metas
We’ve reached the last few steps for optimizing your blog for search. Don’t get lazy, though: These final ones are major.
At this point, it’s time to add a strong and unique meta title and meta description.
The meta title WILL show up in Google search results. Make sure it includes your focus keyword so the term you want to rank for signals straight away.
The meta description may or may not show up in search results. It’s still important to create one that’s the right length, properly summarizes the post, and includes your focus keyword.
A great way to add metas to all your posts in WordPress is to use the Yoast SEO plugin. We use this to optimize all our posts on the Write Blog.
Once the plugin is installed, scroll all the way to the end of your post in the WP editor. There you’ll find the Yoast SEO options, including a snippet preview of what your post will look like in Google SERPs. To edit the metas, head to the section called “Google preview” (you may need to click on it to expand it).
Now you can add:
Your optimized SEO title (also called the H1 or header)
A URL slug (a short string of text that describes the page – this text string follows the domain extension in the URL, e.g. https://yoursite.com/page-description-goes-here)
A meta description (a short summary, up to 158 characters, of what the page/blog is about – it’s a good idea to use the focus keyword in this description and put the most important text at the beginning)
[bctt tweet=”To get your blog posts #SEO ready, make sure to add meta titles and descriptions. @JuliaEMcCoy shares how you can best do this using the @Yoast SEO plugin + other optimization tips.” username=”ExpWriters”]
What About WordPress Categories and Tags?
I get plenty of questions constantly about WordPress categories and tags. Should you use them? Do they matter?
Yes and yes, but with caveats.
In general, categories and tags help you organize your blog posts on your site. They’re good for internal organization and optimization. That simply means, when you categorize each of your blog posts and add a few relevant tags, you help users on your site navigate your blog, find topics they’re looking for, and find related blog posts.
Since categories and tags are so helpful for the user, in theory, they’re also good for SEO. In the same way these elements help users, they also help search engine crawlers by providing information about related content, your site’s structure, and more.
BUT —
Don’t overthink them, and don’t put too much emphasis on them.
In my experience, after lots of testing and experimentation, they barely affect SEO much, if at ALL. That’s why I say, when dealing with categories and tags, the simpler the better.
Categorizing your posts helps users and Google find what they’re looking for, so don’t skip it. Create overarching categories that describe the topics your blog covers. For each post, choose one category that fits the topic best. For example, for our post on how to build a digital content strategy, we filed it under the “Content Strategy” category.
Tagging your posts with a few relevant tags based on your keyword research helps with SEO, according to Theme Grill. In my experience, it’s good practice and can’t hurt. For the Write Blog, we keep it super simple and add our focus keyword as a tag, plus one or two additional related keywords as tags. (You do NOT need 10+ tags for each post! It’s overkill and just wastes time.)
8. Optimize Your Blog for Social Sharing with Yoast (Yes, Yoast Does That!)
Final step! Ensure the right image is shared with your post link on social media by completing this step. This is especially important if you’ve created custom, share-worthy graphics to accompany the post.
In the Yoast SEO options, click on the “Social sharing” icon.
Skip over the title and description fields – Yoast will pull the information for these from the main snippet fields you already filled out in step #7.
Scroll to “Facebook image” or “Twitter image.” Upload your custom image here to make sure it’s shared with your link when people click one of your social share buttons.
Make sure the image you use has an alternate text and a title specified. You can add these by selecting the image in your media library.
This step keeps all of your social shares looking snazzy and professional, no matter who shares your post. This could be the difference between zero clicks and lots of clicks, so don’t skip it!
Just Publishing Your Blog Isn’t Enough: SEO Your Blog Posts for Better Results
Taking care of all these small pieces of your blog post may seem like busy work, but it’s not.
Instead, each step is essential for making your content the best version of itself. Attention to detail may be the differentiator between two posts vying for the #1 or #2 spots on a SERP. If your post has better signals, both readers and Google will take note.
The devil is in the details. A sharp eye and a few extra minutes of your time before hitting “publish” could make all the difference.
Need great content to fuel your blogging presence? We offer packaged blogging plans. See pricing here.
Maybe it’s chillaxing on the beach with a laptop and a martini while typing up your latest adventure? Yeah, that stereotype is about as old and tired as the content best practices from the last decade. (Not to mention unrealistic. Also, don’t take your laptop to the beach.)
Maybe it’s the endless to-do list-slash-content calendar that’s one more dismal thing you have to do to make your business run – and what’s it even do, again?
Oof. Hand me that martini.
Here’s a bit of news: if your ideas about blogging fall into either camp, you’re doing it wrong.
Here’s what blogging looks like in the 2020s, plus how to create long-form blogs that work FOR you (rather than being WORK for you).
[bctt tweet=”What does #blogging look like in 2021? ? How do you create long-form blogs that work FOR you (rather than being WORK for you)? @JuliaEMcCoy has the answers on the Write Blog ?” username=””]
What IS Long-Form Content?
Like a lot of things in the content world, the idea of long-form comes from journalism. There, it referred to a story that ran over the typical length – about 500 words (or about 14-16 inches depending on the paper’s formatting).
In content writing, long-form similarly refers to content that is longer than your typical content.
It’s hard to pin an exact number on that average because it changes.
In particular, it’s growing.
Let’s paint a picture. The phrase long-form content has floated around on the internet for a long time – the first mentions start around 1998. This was the early days of Google before we’d really figured out the true magnitude of the search engine’s power. In those days, long-form content referred to anything over 300 words.
That’s about the length of this section.
However, by 2018, the average had crept up to 1,100 words. Blog posts that went over that frequently ranked higher, got more engagement, and enjoyed more widespread sharing on social media.
And guess what? Marketers noticed. By 2020, HubSpot found that the average blog post was 2,164 words – almost double what it’d been two years earlier.
Blog posts have been trending longer for some time. Blog post length is creeping up over 2,000 words. Source: Orbit Media.
So, what is long-form content in 2021?
According to BuzzSumo, long-form content is anything over 2,000 words.
According to HubSpot, it’s anything between 1,000 and 7,500 words – buuut you want to hit 2,500 words minimum to get the most shares and backlinks.
However, according to Core DNA, your content doesn’t get to wear the badge of long-form until it’s a whopping 4,000 words (about 2.5 times the length of this article).
This brings us to another point…
When to Use Long-Form Content
If longer articles catch more eyeballs, win more clicks, and result in more shares, then longer is always better. Right?
Wrong.
Like everything, long-form content is a tool with some very good applications. Use it when:
You’re building pillar content. One meaty, well-researched article full of links to articles that deep-dive into subtopics can transform your content. Long-form content is excellent here.
You’re trying to outrank competitors with long-form content. If your competition is routinely posting 2,000-word articles, your little 1,100-word work of art won’t cut it. In these cases, long-form content combined with the skyscraper technique can work wonders.
The topic needs it. What’s worse than bad content? Content that fails to fully address the topic. If the topic needs 2,000 words, don’t try to squeeze it into an 800-word blog article simply because you have to publish four articles per month. You’re better off having your writer do one 2,000-word article that really delves into the topic than four 800-word posts that scratch the surface.
The content will land in front of the reader in the deeper stages of the buyer’s journey. A 35-minute read might be intimidating to a casual browser or someone with a short attention span. Target serious seekers with your long-form content.
You’re building authority or thought leadership. Long-form content helps improve a site’s Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness – or EAT, one of Google’s quality guidelines.
[bctt tweet=”If longer articles catch more eyeballs, win more clicks, and result in more shares, then longer is always better. Right? ? …Wrong. Long-form content is a tool with some very good applications. Learn WHEN to use it here ?” username=””]
How to Create Long-Form Blogs That Everyone Will Love
So, you’ve got pillar content planned that will position you as an authority in your industry. Great! Here are four tips to follow when creating long-form blogs that will impress both your readers and the search engines.
1. Break Out the Statistics!
Did you know that blogs are considered the fifth-most trustworthy source of information? And having statistics in your blogs is one of the easiest ways to boost that trustworthiness rating.
Statistics have a lot of benefits, especially when they’re unique to your business. They give your readers some brain candy, and they prove to Google that you’re an expert in your industry.
Therefore, DO:
Compile unique statistics to give to your writers whenever possible.
Emphasize fresh statistics (within two or three years, depending on your industry).
2. Diver Deeper into Topics
Are there 26 blog posts already on the topic you want to write about? Think about another way to attack the topic.
Differentiating yourself in the search engine does more than just give your readers something fresh. It also sets you apart from the competition by showing original thought leadership – you aren’t just rehashing what someone else has already said.
I get it. Running a business involves a never-ending to-do list and the LAST thing you want to do is add more to it. Like creating a long-form blog.
The good news? You don’t have to – there are professionals ready to take care of things for you.
Don’t be afraid to delegate the content creation phase of your blog. According to the Content Marketing Institute, 84 percent of companies outsource their content creation.
Instead, make sure you actually get an expert. DO:
Provide detailed instructions upfront, especially if your writing voice is important.
Take advantage of revision policies to make sure you’re getting exactly what you want.
4. Plan Your Content
Remember: quality and consistency are better than quantity.
Consistent quality over time brings success. There’s no other way to do it.
Publishing long-form content is a powerful way to outrank your competition in the SERPs, but nothing will save you if you’re publishing inconsistently.
However, inconsistency becomes a bigger threat when you’re publishing longer pieces. That’s because they take longer to research, write, and edit than shorter pieces. In my experience, that catches a lot of people off guard.
You may be used to writing 800-word blog posts every Tuesday and Thursday. However, turning one of those into a 2,000-word post is the same amount of work as adding a third post for the week.
The easiest way to get around this? Planning.
Account for word count in your content planning so you know exactly how much work you’ve really got. Likewise, it will help you figure out when you need to hire a writer and accommodate their work pace plus any revisions that need to happen.
Even better? It’ll help you see where you’re headed with your content over time … but hopefully, you already know that because you’ve got a content strategy.
Nobody wants to read thin content – even Google will push you down the SERPs if you hit publish on that lazy 300-word blog.
In 2021, thought leadership and authority are built with long-form content that stops scrollers in their tracks.
Good content is thoughtful and well-researched..
It’s also long-form.
I’ve covered what you need to think about before you create long-form blogs. From the best times to use it (and avoid it) to what you need to give your writers when you hand over a project.
Go forth and write long-form blogs – and show your readers that you know your industry better than your competition does.
Find the best-fit expert writer to help fuel your success right here.
Study participants said they were 131% more likely to purchase from a brand, after reading content from that brand.
78% of respondents found a brand “helpful,” while 64% found the brand “trustworthy” after reading content from that brand.
These numbers increased by 8-9% one week later!
Those are powerful numbers.
But, it can get overwhelming quickly if you don’t know how to do it, or where to start first in terms of hiring a copywriter or even trying to do it yourself.
This means that sometimes your web copy can get pushed to the back of your pile of important business-related items.
Yikes.
What should you do if you can’t spend the time writing excellent web content to help set your site apart from competitors?
Hire a copywriter, of course!
Let’s take a look at just why you should hire a copywriter and how one can help you create the best web copy ever for your business.
[bctt tweet=”Did you know? @Conductor found that 131% of people are more likely to purchase from a brand after reading content from that brand. This and 1️⃣4️⃣ more reasons to hire a #copywriter ✏” username=”ExpWriters”]
14 Reasons Hiring a Copywriter is Your Best Idea Yet
Let’s take a look at 14 great reasons why you should hire a copywriter. Ready?
1. More Time for Your Morning Coffee (Or Anything Else You’d Rather Be Doing)
One of the main reasons why you should consider hiring a copywriter for your content needs is simply because you will have more time.
This means you can spend your time drinking your favorite cup of coffee or tea in the morning ☕, or spend more time on another aspect of your business. Creating consistent, engaging content can take up a significant amount of time, and copywriters are a great way to save that time. Expertly trained copywriters are able to write excellent copy quickly while still hitting the mark you want.
2. A Professional Copywriter Can Perfectly Capture Your Services
When you hire a professional copywriter, you aren’t just getting someone who can write amazing pieces, you’re hiring someone who can capture your services. Copywriters are trained to learn as much as they can about various industries to make sure they write quality content. In addition, many industry-specific copywriters out there have special training, making them perfect to write for your niche audience.
3. Never Worry About High-Stakes Copy Again
Sometimes, you need copy that does some seriously heavy lifting.
Maybe you have a big product launch coming up, so you need tons of enticing, persuasive copy that encourages customers to buy. Maybe you’re publishing a mega blog guide that you poured a ton of resources into, and you need a headline that gets people to click and start reading. Or, maybe you invested in Facebook ads and you really need some great ad copy to make the investment pay off.
Whatever your situation, sometimes you can’t mess around with amateur copy. In cases like these and many more, you need to hire a pro copywriter, one with experience and results behind them, to get the job done and churn out that ROI.
4. Grammar Issues, Begone
Not everyone is skilled with grammar, spelling, and punctuation, and that is usually perfectly fine. However, when you’re writing web content, you want to make sure every aspect of your copy is perfect for the big Google machine, not to mention your reputation as a brand and/or a professional expert in your field. You know if you’re a strong writer or not, and it’s a good idea to make sure you hire a copywriter if you are not strong.
Copywriters have various degrees in fields that require great grammar, which means they will be able to craft expert material for you, Google, and your readers. In addition, many copywriters also have copyeditors on speed-dial who can look through the content to catch any little mistakes that do make it through. Grammar is vital for great SEO, so make sure you always have excellent grammar simply by hiring a copywriter.
5. A Copywriter Knows How to Write Persuasive Content
When writing for the web, persuasive copy is a must. However, not everyone has the talent to create persuasive content that helps pull customers through the sales funnel without coming across like a 1970s used car salesperson.
Copywriters know the importance of creating persuasive content for their clients without focusing heavily on sales-speech, because we know this can easily turn your readers off. When you write your own content, it might come across as far too sales-y for your readers, simply because you don’t have the expertise to walk the fine line between being persuasive and sales-driven. Beat the doubt on whether or not your content is too persuasive (or not persuasive enough) by hiring a writer who can create expert copy that will turn readers into customers quickly and easily.
6. There IS Such a Thing as Being “Too Close” to a Topic
You might think being very close to your industry is helpful when it comes time to create copy, but this can actually be detrimental.
First of all, when you’re too close to your industry, you might not realize just how confusing your jargon is to newbies or those outside of it.
Second of all, when you’re writing about your own business and services, you might find it hard to be objective enough. We all think we can be until it comes down to it, and then we begin questioning and doubting, which you don’t want reflected in your content.
When you hire a copywriter, you’re able to have someone write about your services in a great light without focusing heavily on jargon, making your content easy to understand and enticing.
7. Copywriters Know the Importance of Variation in Content
Writing content for real readers, not just SEO, means you need variation, especially when it comes to content length. While longer content is still the most popular with Google, you should also have different lengths, such as a short piece of 350-500 words or a medium-length piece of 800-1,500 words, to give your readers the ability to choose the content they prefer to consume.
Someone on a commute might be more likely to read a short content piece while saving the longer ones for their lunch break or after work. You need to give your readers both options. A copywriter can make sure that each and every piece of content is written to different lengths to provide that ability, while still maintaining the same high quality standards.
8. A Copywriter Knows How to Craft Different Content Formats
Creating copy doesn’t just mean writing blog posts and web content, but also creating copy for multiple formats. You can find copywriters who have training in creating copy for infographics, videos, and images that help drive engagement on your social channels and blog. In fact, a copywriter can easily write a blog piece that can then be broken down into different formats, which repurposes your content and gets it out to a wider audience.
This is a great way to cover all your bases while giving people the ability to choose how they wish to consume their content. Copywriters exist with training in all areas of content formats, as well as ones who specialize in specific formats to make a greater impact. Whichever way you go, a copywriter can help you create all the different types of content you need.
9. Copywriters Keep Up-to-Date With Every Google Change
Google is great for helping people find your business, which boosts your revenue. However, it can be hard to keep up with every little change the search engine giant makes to its algorithm. There seems to be a new update every month or so, and lately there have been some mega changes that everyone needed to be prepared for. Whether it’s the major core update of 2020 or something a smaller, a copywriter will be on top of all these changes. This will help you get the best, most up-to-date content and SEO to better your copy and website.
10. When it Comes to Hitting the Target, Copywriters are Regular Katniss Everdeens
Hitting your target audience can be trickier than it seems, and no matter how much you do, you still might be missing the mark. Professional copywriters are great at making sure they hit their client’s target audience with every piece of content, bringing in great, organic traffic from Google and your social media channels. When you bring in more traffic, you have a higher chance to convert visitors into leads with even more content. Hiring a copywriter to write copy for you is like hiring Katniss Everdeen to hunt for food or to support your side of the rebellion.
11. You Will Get Fresh, New Content All the Time
Publishing fresh, new content regularly is a vital part of staying relevant online, and you need to make sure you always have it. It can be easy to use the same content across your website, making it feel streamlined and taking up less time. This, however, looks sloppy and many of your readers will not appreciate duplicate content. In fact, Google doesn’t appreciate it, either.
As I mentioned earlier, hiring a copywriter will save you time, and this is one of the many ways that can happen. A copywriter can write consistently fresh, new content for your web page, keeping duplicates out of circulation, making your site a high quality, Google-approved page.
12. A Copywriter Can Make Anything Sound Exciting
I’ve had a few clients come to me and ask about how a copywriter can make their boring subject or niche market sound exciting and enticing. They don’t believe it is possible, but it never hurts to try. When you hire a copywriter, however, it becomes more than possible to create engaging, exciting content for a yawn-worthy topic.
The good news is that not only can a copywriter make your product or service interesting, but also all businesses do have exciting aspects that a copywriter can highlight. You can trust a copywriter to locate and use the exciting elements of your industry while also coming up with great, new ideas for incredible, impactful content.
13. Copywriters Can Help You Generate Organic Traffic and Bring in Sales
Organic traffic is something we would all prefer to have instead of needing to pay a lot for ads. While ads are still an important aspect of any online presence, if you generate more organic traffic, you’ll find you’re likely to have more legitimate customers. In fact, organic traffic can lead to quick sales, as well as helping you keep the clients you bring in.
Copywriters can help create content that drives organic traffic such as creating content for social media, AND content that keeps visitors on-site once they reach your landing pages. When you get organic traffic, your revenue is likely to bump up significantly, and you will really enjoy getting to meet all of your new, wonderful clients. Remember, build a relationship with them once they start showing up to keep them coming back!
Not quite sure what to outsource to a copywriter? Check out our free guide on the essential copywriting services you need.
14. Use a Copywriter to Get Social
Being social is yet another vital aspect to any online presence.
A copywriter can help you create a perfect social media presence by creating engaging, epic social media content that drives clicks and interaction with clients. If you hire a social media copywriter, you will begin to notice that you have more interaction with your clients, which will help when it comes to word of mouth marketing.
Leave It to the Wizards of Words
As you can see, a copywriter is a great idea for every single business when it comes to creating excellent web copy.
Leaving your content in the hands of capable word wizards will help improve your copy and website, bringing in great traffic and clients.
You’ve done it! You have a great site, and you’ve had a ton of traffic.
…But lately, your viewership has begun to slip.
The anxiety starts to sink in as you rack your brain for fresh, new content. And you wonder, “What do I do now?”
No need to panic! It turns out, you’re in luck.
If you need time to get those creative juices flowing before you start on that awesome new piece, there’s a solution you might have overlooked.
What is it?
Your own, already-published content. That old content sitting in your archives! ?
That’s right. There’s a gold mine right beneath your feet — you’re sitting on old content that could be incredible with a little glow-up and some tweaking.
You might ask, “But how do I update old content?”
Fear not. It’s easier than it sounds.
In today’s blog I’ll show you, step by step, the best ways to update your old content to create massive ROI. Ready? Let’s get into it.
How to Update Old Content and Create Massive ROI
Why Update Old Content?
How to Update Old Content: 6 Essential Steps
Find the Right Content to Update (Audit Your Content)
Edit and Update Inaccuracies, Typos, & Wording
Check for Broken Links & Outdated Research
Craft a New Headline
Update the Images and Copy in Your Content
Finesse the Meta Content & CTAs
Republishing: How to Show Off Your Updated Content
How to Republish Content in WordPress
Should You Change the URL?
Updated Content is New Content
Make Your Old Content Sparkle
[bctt tweet=”It pays to focus on creating irresistible new content. But never forget – your old content deserves some extra love, too! @JuliaEMcCoy lays out 6 steps to a flawless old content makeover. ✨” username=”ExpWriters”]
Why Update Old Content?
You might be thinking here — “But, my content is already perfect and I’ve had a ton of views. Why should I change it?”
The truth is, if you’re not updating your old blogs, you’re missing out on more traffic to those posts and more potential new readers and leads.
Returning to those killer posts you’ve already spent time and money on is an essential part of improving the ROI and the quality of your site.
For our own Write Blog, we’ve updated old content transparently and achieved serious ROI from doing so, like with this gargantuan SEO guide:
We earned nine new backlinks and more than 20 new comments on this piece alone after we updated it.
As you can see, revitalizing your old content helps keep your site up-to-date, on-trend, and in plain sight of Google’s site crawlers.
But what about your loyal readers? Trust me, they will thank you for being a reliable resource for the latest and greatest content.
Blogs are now the 5th most trusted source for online information. By staying up to date on the latest information and revamping your old content, readers know they can count on you to keep them in the loop.
Besides, you’ve already invested the time and effort to create them, why not make them all that they can be?
You know that hairstyle your dad or your uncle rocked for years?
Well… It’s not quite on-trend anymore.
Blog posts are a similar situation. You can still love them, but times have changed and so has the information online.
It’s likely that, no matter the topic, there exists new and potentially better information about that subject you so diligently researched.
So, stay on trend! Schedule in the time for researching and updating, and see what else has surfaced since you posted.
How to Update Old Content: 6 Essential Steps
Okay, I’ve convinced you. You’ve decided to refresh your old blog posts.
But should you start now? And if not now, when?
Everyone asks me this question! The answer is, if you have two or more years worth of content, and you haven’t updated anything within that time frame, you’re missing out on valuable leads that could become conversions.
Make it a priority to schedule time to update your blogs every quarter. I recommend updating at least 5-10 pieces per quarter for optimal results.
This adds up to some serious ROI if you make the commitment.
If you’ve decided the time is now, get your editing pickaxe in hand. ⛏️ Let’s take a look at your previous masterpieces to see what’s worth updating.
1. Find the Right Content to Update (Audit Your Content)
A great place to begin a content audit is Google Analytics.
There you can find metrics like bounce rate, social shares, and time-on-page. These will help you determine which previous posts are the best-performing, and thus worth updating.
To start, open your Google Analytics account. On the left-hand side, go to Behavior.
Then, click the Overview button. Next, navigate to the bottom right of the page and click view full report in the bottom right-hand corner.
On the next screen, there will only be 10 posts by default. You can change this by going to the bottom of the page and editing the Show rows option to any number you like: 100, or even 5,000.
Then, return to the top of the page and click Export.
Boom! You now have a perfectly organized list of your posts.
From here, look closely to determine which posts have the highest conversion rates, the largest amount of traffic, and the lowest bounce rate.
These are your golden nuggets that keep visitors engaged.
But what if you don’t use Google Analytics, or what if all your posts have similar stats? Not a problem — there are other ways to determine which posts you should focus on.
One way is looking at which of your posts are evergreen.
Evergreen content is content that will provide unique value for your visitors, generate traffic, and result in conversions for the foreseeable future.
If you’re unsure what falls into that category, think about the pieces that took you some time to craft. Examples include how-to guides, frequently asked question posts, and resource lists.
2. Edit and Update Inaccuracies, Typos, & Wording
After the sifting and searching, you now have a handful of great posts ready to be updated.
And, wow! What a treasure trove you’ve discovered.
Although the hard work may seem like it’s over, don’t stop there. It’s time to refine your posts into something even better.
To begin, choose the first blog to update and read it carefully.
Do you still love it? Are any of the facts outdated?
Did you cringe at any of your wording?
Are there any typos?
If so, start the process by fixing those small imperfections. These minor changes can mean the difference between conversions and a high bounce rate.
Also, keep in mind that your writing style may have changed over time. Try to edit the piece so that it reflects your current style.
And as you read, don’t forget to take formatting into consideration.
If your blog was a bit clunky or if there were a few too many large blocks of text that don’t exactly scream “Read me!”, think about breaking those sections up.
By creating easier-to-digest sections, it will pull your reader through your piece and encourage them to keep reading.
Once you’ve accomplished the basics, it’s time to dig even deeper.
[bctt tweet=”What else should you check in your old blog post before hitting update? Make sure to look for typos, format errors, outdated stats, broken links, and see to it that the piece reflects your current writing style. ✔✔✔” username=”ExpWriters”]
3. Check for Broken Links & Outdated Research
A few issues that can happen with older blog posts: You might be linking to content that no longer exists, or the topic and discussion may not be as relevant as when you originally posted. This can increase your bounce rate, plus, citing outdated research can significantly hurt your position as an “expert” in the field.
To see if this is the case for your piece, try checking for broken links by using tools like this free broken link checker.
If you find any links that lead you to a 404 page or to outdated posts, update them with the relevant content or simply remove them.
This lets Google know you’re on top of it and makes it more likely that your content will rank higher.
If your links are still as bright and shiny as when you first posted, consider adding new external ones.
Can you find new research that wasn’t available before? If so, linking to those articles can boost your credibility and increase your viewership.
Better than adding external links is adding internal links to your content. You likely wrote another article that relates and can help provide additional resources. Add that link in! It just might be the information your readers were looking for.
I know when I’m reading a piece that has already grabbed my attention I almost always click on their links to check out what other gems they have waiting for me. By adding internal links, you not only encourage your readers to remain on your site but it also increases the likelihood that they will share your work.
[bctt tweet=”First thing to check on that old blog post? All those links! You’ll want your post to be clear of links leading to 404s and outdated pages. ✅ Read more tips here on how you can update old content. ” username=”ExpWriters”]
4. Craft a New Headline
According to a Microsoft study, the average attention span has fallen to a mere eight seconds. Eight seconds is all you have to captivate your audience and convince them to stay.
For this reason, it’s imperative to examine your title to ensure it’s the best it can be — it’s your first and sometimes only opportunity to engage your reader.
Once you think you’ve got something eye-catching, don’t simply trust your gut. Give it a test run.
To do so, try the AMI Institute’s EMV Headline Analyzer. It’s a useful tool for any writer that ranks your headline according to how well it resonates with your audience based on three key types of appeal: intellectual, emotional or spiritual.
It also gives you a percentile score which indicates how powerful your title is. Most professional copywriters’ headlines will fall between 30%-40% range, while the most talented will have a 50%-75% score. Test yours to see where you land. If it’s not quite right, keep trying.
If you’re stuck and need more help, check out my video on writing killer headlines for more tips.
5. Update the Images & Copy in Your Content
If your blog is mostly text and there are little to no images, you may want to consider adding a few more. Images help the reader stay actively engaged by breaking up content.
They’re even more important in terms of memory and recall. One study found that, after three days, participants could only remember 10% of information they heard. But, when that information was paired with an image, participants were able to remember 65% of it.
Source: Easel.ly
This is why images are a huge component of any successful blog’s goal to maintain viewership.
Infographics can help you show off incredible statistics, like the one above, in a simple format that will impress your readers and make them more likely to share your content.
If your blog is fun and lighthearted, you might try adding GIFs. They make a perfect pair to content that makes readers laugh out loud.
Just keep in mind that page load time is also a factor. If your post already takes a moment to pop up, you may want to reconsider using them.
Very few readers will wait a full 10 seconds to begin reading.
Think about the copy itself, too. If you have typos, content and quality issues, now is the time to address all of those. Quality in writing goes a long way in convincing and converting a reader.
[bctt tweet=”Enhance your old content’s readability ️by adding attractive yet informative images. ? Besides keeping those long posts easier to read, they help readers recall information better. ” username=”ExpWriters”]
6. Finesse Your Meta Content & CTAs
There are two final components of any successful content update. These are your meta content and your call to action, or CTA.
Meta Titles and Descriptions
Your meta content is a combination of two items — your meta title and meta description.
The meta title is the headline that appears on search pages when users search for you or any content related to your site.
Your meta description is the small blurb beneath your site’s title on Google’s search page which tells readers what they’re about to click on.
The critical meta title and description are a must for optimal SEO. These can also be the deciding factor between a user clicking on your site or choosing one of the thousands of others available to them.
While there are many strategies regarding how to optimize, the main goal is to be specific.
In the example above, our meta title is Why Blog? 52 Incredible Blogging Statistics to Inspire You. This is highly specific to our topic and interesting to the reader. Bonus: It has numbers! Numbers are great to draw readers’ eyes.
If your post is about options for gardening services in Southern California, the meta title should not be something generic. For example, “Gardeners for Your Home” is an extremely weak meta title. A better option is one that is not only location-specific, (e.g. Southern California) but one that also includes keywords. “How to Find the Best Gardener in Southern California: 5 Steps to a Great Partnership” is not only specific but contains all of the keywords associated with your content.
This lets both the reader and search engines know precisely what your site contains. By using targeted language, it increases the chance that you will rank higher and viewers will choose your site.
Your meta description should also be similarly crafted. It is an extension of your title and should contain a small snapshot of carefully selected keywords and phrases that relate to your page’s topic.
Want an in-depth guide on how to write powerful meta descriptions? Check out our blog on how to write meta content.
Calls-to-Action, or CTAs
The last and arguably most important factor for creating conversions through your content is your call-to-action, or CTA.
These can be placed within a sentence, like the one above, on a button on your site, or on a pop-up window within your blog that encourages the reader to take action in some way.
Businesses spend countless dollars each year researching how to effectively leverage the color, position, and wording of their CTAs so they can get their customers to the next section of their sales funnel.
Here’s an example:
Each of these two buttons is a CTA, but they both have one goal: Transform a visitor into a customer. The only difference lies in the wording. One focuses on stoking enthusiasm and curiosity, “Everyone loves us.” The other acts as a mirror, encouraging you to “Try it now.”
While using scarcity to induce a feeling of FOMO is effective — like “Buy now before we run out” — what’s more effective is knowing your audience.
Why? Because it fits their brand and their product. By knowing who your readers are and what they want, you can craft CTAs that are lightyears ahead of the average “Buy now,” button. Then, sit back and watch the conversions roll in.
By creating an enticing CTA within rather than just hoping a reader will take action, the chances increase exponentially that they will like, subscribe, or purchase that ebook you worked so hard on.
If you need some inspirational tips on how to write a CTA that’s guaranteed to generate conversions, check out our blog about how to write a sensational CTA after you finish here.
See what we did there?
[bctt tweet=” Never miss adding CTAs, or calls-to-action, to your blogs. CTAs invite readers to your next desired step such as subscribing to your newsletter, purchasing an item, or just reading another post to keep them hooked on your site! ?” username=”ExpWriters”]
Republishing: How to Show Off Your Updated Content
Congratulations, you’ve done it!
You braved the journey into your content gold mine and came out with some incredible pieces. After a bit of hard work, they are now gleaming. ?
Now comes the fun part: republishing your updated content and sharing it with the world.
How to Republish Content in WordPress
Republishing your updated content is a relatively simple process in WordPress. Here’s the way we do it for the Write Blog. (There are probably a lot of ways to approach republishing old content, but this one is simple and works well for us.)
First, navigate to the blog post you’re updating in your WordPress dashboard. (If you have hundreds of blog posts, or even over 1,000 like we do on the Write Blog, you’ll need to do a search to find the right post.)
Hover over the post title with your mouse pointer. Click “Edit.”
The next screen will display your WordPress editor of choice — the Classic editor or the new Block editor. You’ll be able to tell you’re in editing mode by what you see at the top of the screen. In Classic editor, you’ll see “Edit Post.”
And in Block editor, if you click on the pencil at the top left of the screen (“Modes”), you’ll see you’re in edit mode.
Note: You are now editing a live blog post — one that’s already published. It’s important to keep the post live and NOT unpublish the post or set it back to “draft” form. If your post is quite old and already has an SEO presence, this is purposeful, so you don’t lose your rankings, break any links, or create a 404 error.
Edit and update the post according to our six steps outlined above. As you update, to save your changes, continually hit the “Update” button. Don’t worry about anyone potentially seeing the post mid-update. If the post is old, the likelihood is small.
Once you’re finished editing, it’s time to republish your post so it appears at the top of your blog. Go to the line that says “Published on:” and hit “Edit.”
Change the date to the current one (or change the publish date to whenever you want the new post to appear). Make sure to set the time, too! Then hit “OK” and the “Update” button to save your changes.
And that’s it! Your updated content should now appear at the top of your blog. Anyone following your blog via RSS feed should see it show up in their blogroll, too.
Should You Change the URL?
Now that you’ve updated that content, should you change the URL?
As a general rule, I recommend NOT changing the URL of updated posts, just because you don’t want to inadvertently create any broken links anywhere.
However, each situation is different.
If your post drove lots of traffic before the update, you’ll definitely benefit from leaving the URL as-is to retain your SEO advantage. (Think backlinks and Google rankings.)
But, if your post views are low or nonexistent, a new URL could rejuvenate traffic, as a shorter URL tied to stronger, high-volume keywords can be beneficial. This video from Surfside PPC explains the logic in greater detail:
Updated Content is New Content
Once your content has been republished, it’s time to share on social media.
If you’re worried your audience won’t respond to the post because technically they’ve already seen it, stop and relax. It’s important to remember that this is not the same content anymore. You’ve transformed it into something useful and relevant.
It’s also good to keep in mind that the value of your blog is not in the immediate viewership achieved but in the potential thousands who will visit in the future.
By following our simple steps above to keep your blog updated, you’ll boost your visitor count and earn consistently higher traffic numbers to your content.
Make Your Old Content Sparkle
If you’re still looking for new ways to update your old content after doing all of the tips above, consider a few of these extra steps to repurpose it.
Do you have a podcast or will you be featured in one soon? Think about how you can integrate your piece into the recording or mention it as a resource.
Do you have a YouTube channel? Try rewriting your content as a video script or mentioning a small snippet to encourage listeners to give it a read.
If you have an active email campaign that keeps your readers engaged with your site, use it to show off work they may not have seen yet. Take an excerpt from the post you’re revamping and include it in your next newsletter. Then, create a CTA that encourages readers to “Check out the whole article” and provide a link.
Remember, updating your old content gives it brand-new life. So go out there, find your old content gems, and give them the glow-up they deserve. They’ll shine brighter than ever with a little TLC. ?
It begins and ends with your point of view and tone of voice. ? ✍️
Overwhelmingly, brands with their POV and tone of voice nailed outperform their “meh” competitors – you know, those forgettable brands with a bland presence.
So, if you have your brand voice on lock, you’ll more easily connect with your target audience, build trust, and convince them to buy.
Unfortunately, some of the most common mistakes I see in content writing have to do with botched tone of voice or point of view.
From clients we work with to students in the classes I teach to writers I talk to – a misunderstanding of these two fundamental writing concepts continually rears its head.
The problem is misunderstanding can lead to major gaffes in communication. (Can you say disappointed, annoyed customers?)
These are tricky concepts if you don’t know the rules and logic behind them. Luckily, learning about tone of voice and point of view isn’t too hard. Plus, the massive results you’ll earn are worth it: a more consistent brand presence that will draw your customers to you, consistently, time and time again. ?
Let’s get into it.
Your Guide to Point of View and Tone of Voice: Table of Contents
What Are Tone of Voice and Point of View?
1. Tone of Voice 2. Point of View
First-Person POV
Second-Person POV
Third-Person POV
How to Use Tone of Voice and POV Correctly for a Better Brand Presence
1. Choose Your Tone of Voice from the Four Dimensions, Then Refine 2. Don’t Go Too Far with Tone of Voice 3. Choose Your Words Wisely
Your Tone of Voice and Point of View Define Your Brand
What Are Tone of Voice and Point of View?
First up, let’s clearly define the meaning of point of view and tone of voice in writing.
1. Tone of Voice
In communication, tone of voice determines how the writer comes across to the reader. What emotion(s) come through? How do they feel about the audience they’re writing to?
Tone of voice directly affects communication no matter where or how you’re talking.
In speech, the literal tone and pitch of your voice convey how you feel about what you’re saying and who you’re saying it to.
Likewise, your writing tone of voice has a direct impact on how your audience interprets your meaning and intentions. In writing, however, the key is word choice. The words you use, and the way you phrase them, define your textual tone.
Look at these tone of voice examples for an imaginary editing service. They convey the same message, but each has a different tone:
Sympathetic tone:Writing is hard. If you need help refining your prose, we’re here for you.
Witty tone:Writer’s block is as much fun as sitting in gridlock traffic for an hour. We get it. We can help you get unstuck.
Direct, straightforward tone:We’ll refine your writing, correct your grammar, and make your work shine.
Angry/combative tone:How the *$&!! did you get into this line of work with so little talent?! You obviously can’t write, so what CAN you do?
(That last example isn’t copy so much as harsh commentary, but it’s a good taste of how your tone of voice can change drastically by adding in a few all-caps and extra punctuation. This is a prime negative tone of voice example.)
A good synonym for tone of voice is writing style.
2. Point of View
Point of view (POV) is perhaps more confusing for some people than tone of voice. Let’s clear the air.
Point of view refers to the narrator of a piece of content and their particular perspective. This is the person who’s telling the story, relaying the information, or reporting the events. Everything is told from this person’s point of view.
However, sometimes the narrator is not the writer, and vice-versa. The writer may assume the POV of someone else, essentially stepping into their shoes and writing from their perspective. This can be a different person, character, or entity (such as a brand or organization).
Whether you’re writing as yourself or writing as someone else, you’ll use different types of POV:
This type of POV is the most personal. With first-person, you’re writing directly from your own experience (or directly from your chosen narrator’s experience) using words like “I,” “me,” and “mine.”
Example: I know writing is hard. For me, I had to read and write every day before I became any good.
First-person POV also can be plural, i.e., one person speaking on behalf of many. In this instance, you’ll use words like “we,” “us,” and “our.”
Example: We know writing is hard. For us, the key was to read and write every day to improve our skills.
The 1st-person point of view is one you’ll see most often in personal stories, where people are describing their experiences. You’ll also find it in modern fiction writing.
Ann Handley uses first-person writing to great effect in her blog posts:
Second-Person POV
Writing in second-person means you’re talking directly to the reader, using words like “you,” “your,” and “yours.”
Example: You can learn to write well. It just takes a bit of practice. Soon the skill will be yours to command.
Sometimes, first and second-person POV can intermix – you can write both personally and directly.
Example: I know how difficult writing can be. You don’t need to be intimidated, though. You’ve got this!
This is the most common type of point of view you’ll find in online content writing. See this example from Brian Dean of Backlinko for inspiration:
Third-Person POV
Finally, third-person POV means you’re writing from an outside perspective.
You’re not talking directly or personally, but rather describing what others see, do, or think, like you’re watching them from afar and reporting all you see. You’ll use words like “he,” “she,” “them,” “it,” and “they.”
Example: The team didn’t know how to write well, so they enlisted a good editor for her guidance and feedback.
This POV is most often used in formal or professional articles and reports. This article from Reuters is a great example of a 3rd person POV:
How to Use Tone of Voice and POV Correctly for a Better Brand Presence
Tone of voice and point of view are essential to understand for better content. More importantly, choosing ONE tone of voice and ONE point of view to use consistently across your content will equal a more defined, recognizable brand presence online.
So, how can you do it? Here are some tips:
1. Choose Your Tone of Voice from the Four Dimensions, Then Refine
If you haven’t decided how you want to relate to your audience in your content, now is the time.
How do you want to sound in your communications? What feels right for your brand, product, service, image, etc.?
A helpful tool you might use to refine your tone of voice is the Nielsen Norman Group’s Four Dimensions of Tone of Voice. This is what they say about it:
“We decided to design a manageable web-specific tool that content strategists could use to create simple tone profiles for a company’s online presence. Our goal was to identify several tone-of-voice dimensions that could be used to describe the tone of voice of any website.”
These are the four dimensions:
Formal vs. casual
Funny vs. serious
Respectful vs. irreverent
Enthusiastic vs. matter-of-fact
Each dimension is represented by two extremes (e.g. formal at one end, casual at the other). You could choose a tone that’s one of the extremes, or decide to fall somewhere between the two.
Additionally, using a mix of dimensions is a good way to further refine your tone. For example, your brand tone of voice could be funny, casual, squarely in-between respectful and irreverent, and matter-of-fact.
Once you define each of your dimensions, you can then choose more specific words that further describe your brand voice. For instance:
Funny: Playful, punny
Casual: Chatty and friendly
Respectful/irreverent: Witty, kind
Matter-of-fact: Direct, outspoken
Once you’ve refined your tone of voice this far, it’s easy to choose a corresponding point of view to use in your content.
First-person: The least formal; relatable, subjective; storytelling emphasis
Second-person: The most direct; helpful, guiding
Third-person: The most formal; professional, knowledgeable, objective
[bctt tweet=”Pro tip ❗ You can refine your tone of voice by following @NNgroup’s 4 Dimensions of Tone of Voice: formal vs. casual, funny vs. serious, respectful vs. irreverent, and enthusiastic vs. matter-of-fact.” username=”ExpWriters”]
2. Don’t Go Too Far with Tone of Voice
What happens when tone goes wrong?
You’ll make your readers feel the exact opposite of what you want.
This is easy to do when you go too far with tone of voice.
For example, maybe you decide you don’t want to be merely funny – you want to be HILARIOUS. So, you use exclamation points like they’re the only option, you constantly make ham-handed jokes, and you attempt to be light-hearted no matter what.
Or, maybe you want to sound professional and intelligent. You take care to always be serious, only use 3rd-person POV, pull from a rigorous vocabulary, and create a rule where your sentences must always be at least five words long.
Do you see how, in both scenarios, you’re going too far with each tone of voice?
In the first case, you won’t come off as a comedic genius or even funny – instead, you’ll sound unhinged, wacky, and uncaring.
In the second case, you won’t impress anyone. You’ll drive people away from your brand with your cold aloofness and condescending style.
When implementing your tone of voice, balance is a necessity.
Don’t rigidly stick to your chosen tone of voice when it doesn’t make sense. There are times to be serious and times to be more formal, even if your overarching voice is casual and funny.
Be human in your communication with your audience. Use common sense.
Don’t get set in your ways. Formal doesn’t necessarily equate with wordy. Informal doesn’t mean you must only be brief.
As we said, tone of voice and point of view in your written content is all about word choice and punctuation.
Keep your point of view consistent. Don’t insert “I” and “me” into a blog where you’re using third-person POV. Similarly, don’t refer to people as “they” when you’re writing in second-person, and so on.
Use the vocabulary that matches up with your chosen tone of voice. The tone of voice you’ve defined comes with its own vocabulary. For example, if you’re a brand like MailChimp, your voice is simple, straightforward, and warm. See how their word choices reflect this?
If “love” and “heart” don’t make you feel warm and fuzzy, I don’t know what will.
Remember the definition of tone of voice. Your tone of voice determines how you come across to customers. Always, always think about how you might sound to them when putting together your content and copy.
Your Tone of Voice and Point of View Define Your Brand
Who you are online (or who you want to be) is demonstrated through your point of view and tone of voice. The perspective you speak from and the emotions you stir up in others will define your personality and presence.
Understand what each of these writing concepts will mean to your brand, then define them. Finally, keep them consistent across channels to build better relationships with customers.
