It’s hard to believe that this May marks nine years in business for my team at Express Writers.
We’re very fortunate, if you consider the scary statistics surrounding business tenure. 20% of new businesses fail in their first two years, 45% fail in the first five years, and a whopping 65% don’t make it in the first ten years (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).
Here’s the thing, though. Our ‘fortune’ didn’t just accidentally happen.
Back in May of 2011, when we began, it was with every chance of failure. Literally — 100% chance of failing. I was a college dropout with a dream to write for a living and build my own business. I had $75 cash to my name in the bank, and I was searching for a route to create a business out of my passion. (Pssst… I’m writing a book due out 2021 on this topic! Get on the waitlist here.)
All my life, I loved to write. It was an obsession — an addiction.
At 19 years old, while I was still in college, I decided to look up “how to write for a living” one morning. That same day, I discovered a booming if not premature market of “freelance writing,” and I signed up immediately for a freelance profile on oDesk (now Upwork). I worked hard every day following to learn this trade and take on paying freelance writing gigs, inspired to get up at 4 a.m. and work my butt off simply because of the sheer fact that I was following my passion.
It was a literal, simple inspiration-struck-and-I-took-action sequence. Three months later, I had more work than I could handle or keep up with, and I created a business within five minutes — Express Writers. Truth be told, I did not think it would last the year.
Here we are, nine years later, celebrating our #19,900th project (a number that grows daily). We published our first-ever income report last year, which highlights how we serve 50-60 clients each month with custom content writing services.
We have a team of almost ninety rock stars — a full-time Content Manager, an editorial staff, writers in expert niches, writers trained to write for almost every format. We serve clients around the globe.
It’s incredible that we made it to nine years. And I have many of you to thank, reading this post. We wouldn’t be here without your support. So, thank you.
To celebrate, I sat down and wrote some reflections for you. Here you go — my nine lessons from nine years in business, and nearing the 20,000 projects completed mark.
[bctt tweet=”If you’ve been a part of @expwriters at all — reader, subscriber, client, student, team member… I can’t thank you enough. Without you we wouldn’t be celebrating 9 years today. ❤️ Read my 9 lessons in 9 years: ” username=”ExpWriters”]
9 Lessons From 9 Years of Business and 19,900+ Projects
That headline is all made up of nines—how crazy is that?! That was a complete accident, but not a bad way for the data to line up on our celebratory post.
Let’s get into my nine reflections.
1. One core marketing commitment, centered around your clients/audience (not you), is all you need to earn clients.
If I could tell my younger self one phrase, it would be this. Keep going, you have everything you need to earn clients consistently simply because of your core commitment.
I had no idea just how much the simple marketing commitment I made at the beginning would be worth it to our success throughout the years.
Back in 2011, I committed to one goal — growing our business through what we sold. Essentially, existing as the proof of our own pudding. And that’s why we’ve maintained a marketing presence explicitly based on content. Our Write Blog has brought in the majority of our clients. For nine years, I’ve written a blog every week. For nine years, I’ve sent at least two emails every week. With help from my own team at Express Writers, consistency in weekly onsite content has been a practice we’ve never dropped.
And today, our site earns over 100,000 visitors each month; we have over 1,300 published blogs; and our site ranks on Alexa as the #25,700th most popular website in the world. Not to mention, we rank for over 19,000 keywords indexed in Google, the cost of which would be over $200,000 in an ad campaign!
Decide on one core marketing medium and stick to it. Become the best at what you do. Create the most in-depth content on that topic. This is how you succeed at serving your audience so well, they want to become your clients.
2. Every chance of failure is a great opportunity for success.
As I look back today on the beginning, I know that the simple realization I had back then — I have every chance of failure here — was a great launchpad for everything I’ve been able to do since.
Just being aware that you will, might, or can fail, and then getting ready to shrug it off and pick yourself back up, is a surefire way to succeed in business.
[bctt tweet=”As I look back today on the beginning, I know that the simple realization I had back then -‘I have every chance of failure here’ – was a great launchpad for everything I’ve been able to do since. via @JuliaEMcCoy ” username=”ExpWriters”]
3. Never give up.
As stereotypical and over-quoted as this sounds, it’s the truth. Time and time again we’ve hit what feels like “the end of the world” — unexpected roadblocks, hiring and firing, growing pains. But we’ve never given up. As simple as that sounds, it’s the way to success.
4. It’s okay to feel like everything’s broken sometimes.
Each time you hit a slump or a roadblock, it will truly feel like the end of the world. You can’t simply ignore that feeling, if you’re as invested in running a great business as I am with Express Writers. When you build your trust on your name, your business name, that means you will be extremely subjective about your business. When someone hurts you, you will feel hurt. When someone undercuts you, or fails on your expectations, you will be upset. And that’s okay. I’ve had others chide me for this, but I believe that if you care, you will feel. You cannot turn those feelings off. Which leads me to my next point.
5. Have at least two mentors you can count on for foundational advice.
Anytime I felt like something was going severely wrong in my business, it was important to me to pick up the phone and call someone who was, simply put, wise. You don’t need a business mentor who’s raised seven figures three times. You don’t need a guru that’s been through five exits each worth a million plus dollars. You simply need someone who will speak wisdom into your particular circumstance.
For example, one of my favorite mentors owns a cleaning company. He knows and speaks business finances with sense, tells it plainly, and gives what I would describe as grounding advice. Another mentor is a spiritual counselor from my church who is in his late 60s. He looks at challenges with such wisdom, and his advice reminds me of predictions, they are so true.
Find that person that will speak truth into your circumstances when they go downhill. (And maybe add them on speed dial.)
6. Don’t make promises you can’t keep.
There are far too many marketers, gurus, and founders out there that make incredibly high-reaching promises to their audience and clientele.
“I promise you the world for $xx.”
We’ve always been real about what we can and can’t do. Sometimes we’ll even tell a client “no” if they want amazing content delivered in 24 hours (it just isn’t possible). Keeping our word and sticking to a clear process and protocol has always been paramount to us, and it’s served us — and our clients — well.
7. Never stop learning and growing.
On a daily basis, my Content Manager tells me in Slack what we can improve at. It’s ridiculous how much we evolve. But if we stayed in one place for more than a week, I think we would have died out a long time ago as a business.
Our services are so custom, so unique and creative — content writing — that they must evolve to serve our clients well. We’re continually growing, adding new services, increasing our fees so we can pay writers better rates, and we’re even hard at work on a new platform for our team and clients behind-the-scenes that will launch this summer.
8. Build a team that is ready to embrace the real-life world of working together to win.
It’s not about degrees, accolades, or “expert experience” when you’re putting together a team that will serve your clients with honesty, care, integrity, and intelligence.
Not at all. Instead, it’s about looking for hungry people who have the same passion for the core of what you do (for us, that’s writing), and assembling a team who has the same goal in heart – succeeding together. We’ve stopped hiring commissioned sales reps or even salespeople, period, for this reason. We look for content and freelance-minded humans who have that natural zest and passion for good content and achieving goals, who we can shape and train to learn the various client-centric roles we have.
One of my favorite guest stars on Shark Tank is Alex Rodriguez, Major League Baseball star and successful entrepreneur. He says: “I have a PhD in failing, and a Masters in getting back up.” This is the kind of experience you need — people in your team that are ready for the real-world challenges that come with operating a successful business.
[bctt tweet=”It’s not about degrees, accolades, or ‘expert experience’ when you’re putting together a team that will serve your clients with honesty, care, integrity, and intelligence. – @JuliaEMcCoy on lessons learned from 9 years in business ” username=”ExpWriters”]
9. You never know — you might just succeed.
It’s important to start with every chance of failure and check your ego at the door. But it’s also important to celebrate when you win. Don’t stop at winning—keep progressing, growing, and improving—but take a moment to celebrate when you do succeed. And guess what? If you stick at it enough, it will happen. Kudos to you. You made it this far, and you deserve a moment to shout, “HECK YEAH.”
Celebrating Nine Years at Express Writers
I’ve learned that the minute you think, “I’m here! No further work needs to be done,” you’ll head for the Failure door. It’s imperative to wake up daily with the thought, “How can I better serve my clients?” And if you’re the boss, add to that, “How can I better serve my team? What further resources can I add to make their lives easier?”
So, that’s what we plan on doing for the next nine years and beyond.
Also, I have to end this post with a shout out.
Thanks to all of my amazing team and their hard work. None of what we do at Express Writers would be possible without you!
Here’s to amazing content. And to YOU… and your success!
Ever wonder why some brands vanish into obscurity while others enjoy viral popularity?
Or why certain brands pop into your head when you see certain colors?
Why some businesses withstand pandemics, a decade of ups and downs and make it… while others die by the wayside?
Building a brand that lasts is a process of commitment. Integrity. Hard work. (Did we mention commitment?)
Brand building is also a process that involves coalescing the mission and message of your business into a cohesive, comprehensive identity that customers recognize, trust, and get excited about.
Every time they see you appear in their inbox or flash across their news feed.
In 2020, it’s the authentic expression of your company’s core values and mission, done in a way that connects with your customers.
When you nail it, you not only create a memorable, enduring brand but one that drives your company’s growth.
(71% of customers say it’s important to them to purchase from brands they recognize.)
Here’s what I’ve learned over the past nine years building the Express Writers brand from the ground up through a content-first approach – no magic, no gimmicks, no shortcuts.
5 Ways to Build a Brand That Lasts and Grows Organically
1. Roll Up Your Sleeves and Get to Work!
2. Commit to Consistency
3. Put Your Customers First In Everything You Do
4. Make Integrity a Core Value
5. Keep Every Promise You Make
[bctt tweet=”Trying to discern how to build a brand that lasts? It seems mystifying, yet the answer is quite simple. It’s all about brand development strategy – not luck or happenstance. Learn more in this post by @JuliaEMcCoy” username=”ExpWriters”]
The 5 Keys to Building Strong Brands That Enjoy Organic Growth
There is nothing mysterious involved when it comes to marketing or building strong brands. If you’re wondering how to build a brand that lasts, you could sum it up in five quick parts: work hard, be consistent, emphasize customer service, practice integrity, and keep your promises.
It’s that simple. And that hard. Let’s dive in.
1. Roll Up Your Sleeves and Get to Work!
If you want the harvest, you have to spend time in the dirt.
It’s a super simple concept, but you’ll be surprised at how few people understand this. Consider this:
According to a survey by the Pew Research Center, only 60 percent of Americans believe that hard work is the key to getting ahead. A full 39 percent think hard work doesn’t necessarily lead to anything.
In other words, over a third of Americans are unlikely to work hard because they’re not convinced it will do any good. They can’t all be resigned to never succeeding at anything. So, might there be successful entrepreneurs in that second group?
Maybe, but the data isn’t optimistic:
Data mined from the Bureau of Labor Statistics found that 29 percent of business owners worked more than 50 hours per week. Some 86 percent worked on the weekends. Just 60 percent took just one vacation per year (and then three-quarters of them STILL worked).
So, roll up those sleeves and get those hands dirty. Successful freelancers, entrepreneurs, and business owners know that there’s no way around the hard work. Our willingness to engage in it constitutes a defining feature – we wear our 90-hour workweeks like a badge of honor.
Still, hard work is the key to success but it’s the key we frequently don’t see. A lot of people out there also don’t want you to see it.
They’d rather you buy their book, course, membership, etc., that promises to divulge some secret that makes you rich overnight – ignoring the reality that it takes between two and three years on average before a business becomes profitable.
Next time you’re marveling at some on-point branding or the truly-well targeted marketing of one of your competitors, remember that you’re looking at the harvest, not the dirt.
2. Commit to Consistency.
Hard work and consistency are linked. If you’re showing up every day to water your crops, they’re going to grow.
However, that’s not all consistency involves. A lot of research shows that consistency directly impacts your business’s organic growth whether we’re talking about branding efforts or content publishing.
According to Demand Metric, brands that present a uniform presence across all of their platforms are 3.5 times more recognizable than brands that don’t. A consistent brand increases revenue by up to 23 percent.
According to HubSpot, companies that published at least four blogs every week saw the highest levels of organic traffic.
In short: If you build it, they will come – but you have to keep building even when they’re not coming.
As you start to build your brand, commit to consistency from the ground up to give yourself a solid foundation to build. That includes (but isn’t limited to):
Aligning your core mission, business goals, and content: You should be articulating the same message across your entire enterprise.
Carefully curating your voice and vibe: From your brand identity to your user interface, your customer experience should have a uniform feeling.
Cultivating your topic clusters: HubSpot’s 2020 Content Marketing Strategy Report identified topic clusters as the single most powerful strategy for building brand authority.
Crafting authoritative, valuable content: Many people believe long-form content is dead thanks to our goldfish-like attention spans, but this isn’t true at all! Long-form content (above 1,000 words) thrives if it’s useful.
Publishing strategic content on a schedule: Your readers and customers should know when to expect new content from you – and you must deliver.
Updating and revitalizing your brand presence and content to reflect your growth: Content isn’t meant to be published and forgotten about. Spend time auditing your web presence, customer experience, and content to ensure it remains consistent over time.
Do these things look familiar? They should. They’re the core of a strong content strategy, your single most potent tool for building a brand that grows over time.
Tip: Want to learn more? I dive deep into all of these content strategy cores in my comprehensive course.
3. Put Your Customers First in Everything You Do.
At the end of the day, your customers are the reason for your success. Without them, you aren’t earning!
Build into your brand strategy a commitment to treat them each like they’re the Number One Customer – because they are. Every one of them.
Customer centricity, also called a client-centric or client-focused strategy, is the idea that a company’s entire existence should revolve around delivering the best possible experience to its customers. And by everything, I mean:
Implementing business infrastructure (phones, software, etc.) that enhances customer service.
Developing a functional online presence that elevates the customer experience.
Publishing comprehensive content that solves customer problems or addresses common pain points.
Creating processes that sustain relationships with customers to deliver value even after the final sale.
Emphasizing the customer experience is a powerful branding strategy because these efforts send a clear message that you’re here to help. You’re here to deliver value, and you value your customers.
It works. According to PwC, 80 percent of Americans want fast, friendly, helpful, and convenient interactions with brands. Some 73 percent will walk away if they don’t get that – a quarter of them after the very first time.
In contrast, 42 percent of people will remain loyal to a brand that delivers the expected experience even if it costs more.
Putting the customer first consistently is hard work but it pays in dividends with loyalty and growth. Hey, seeing a pattern yet?
4. Make Integrity a Core Value
We often hear about brand authenticity – the perceived sincerity of a brand to its identity, mission, and customers – but what about integrity?
Brand integrity refers to how your customers perceive your image, products or services, and reputation. It’s whether you’re known for engaging in certain behaviors, or whether you’re known for sticking by the principles you express.
I’ll be you a pretty penny you can name a few examples off the top of your head (both positive and negative). Brand integrity is that powerful.
Companies with brand integrity send consistent messages about who they are and what they stand for. That’s critical for building trust with your customers.
However, integrity goes beyond simply how your brand conducts itself in public. It also includes what happens behind closed doors when no one is looking (or so you think).
It matters because, at some point down the road, you’re going to have some seriously. Bad. Days.
I’ve certainly had a few. From finishing off content writing at 1 am because the writer didn’t come through to dealing with embezzling managers, I’ve learned the hard way that how you respond in those moments will make or break your brand.
If you’ve cultivated a brand that emphasizes integrity, you’ll already have a leg up. In the moments when it matters most, integrity:
Gives you a guidepost. You’ll be better prepared to do the right thing for your employees, customers, or business.
Helps you articulate and maintain your standards. You’ll not only set expectations but be able to identify when you (or your team) aren’t living up to them – and you’ll know what to do about that.
Attracts potential team members who resonate with your brand message. At some point, you’ll need to build a team if you want to grow further. You can attract the talent you’re looking for if you make your brand’s principles and integrity a proposition. (American Express found that 68 percent of millennials are looking at them already when they decide if they want to apply to a job.)
Improves your transparency. If you’re doing the right thing, and you know it, it’s much easier to remain transparent and honest about what’s happening. (And Label Insight suggests that 94 percent of customers will show loyalty to you if you show transparency to them.)
Deepens customer trust.Customers don’t want perfection. They want honesty and the recognition of the human element behind the brand.
Doing the right thing is hard work. It might require you to make difficult decisions. Yet, if you’re known for doing the right thing consistently, then your customers will trust you and stand behind you – you’ll maintain that sterling reputation and your brand will enjoy high value as a result.
5. Keep Every Promise You Make
Your word – like your reputation – is your most valuable asset. Cultivate the habit of keeping every promise you make.
To your customers, that means things like delivering what you say you’ll deliver – meeting that deadline even if you work into the wee hours of the morning because the team member you delegated the work to didn’t keep up their part.
To your employees, that means things like paying them on time – even if your clients haven’t paid you.
Keeping your word is part of how you express integrity, but it goes much further than that. When you make following through on your promises a priority, it:
Keeps you from making promises you can’t keep. We’ve all experienced the disappointment of a brand failing to provide after making a promise. Distinguish yourself by never eliciting that feeling in your customers or employees.
Shows respect to your customers. Your customers are the reason for your success, so show them respect not only in your superior customer service but also by delivering upon your promises.
Emphasizes brand consistency. The trick to build a brand that lasts is to walk your talk every day – even when you don’t feel like it.
Keeping promises means you’re dedicated to not only doing the hard work it takes to build a rock-solid brand, but you’re also prepared to do so in a principled way. Even when it’s not easy or convenient.
[bctt tweet=”5 keys to building a brand that grows strong like an oak tree : 1) Work hard, 2) Commit to consistency, 3) Put customers first, 4) Champion integrity, 5) Keep EVERY promise. @JuliaEMcCoy breaks it down :” username=”ExpWriters”]
How to Build a Brand That Lasts Through Anything
There you have it, from seed to harvest – how to build a brand that lasts through any scenario the world might throw at us, from pandemics to our cycle of recessions. There’s nothing magical or mysterious about it. You just need to be willing to roll up your sleeves, get your hands dirty, and show up every. Single. Day.
Forget overnight success. Toss out that “when I feel like it” attitude. The recipe for success is dead simple, but very, very hard.
With consistency, a healthy dose of principles, a desire to create true value for your customers and the gumption to stick with it no matter how long it takes, your brand will thrive.
At the core of your brand strategy is great content. Check out our Content Shop to discover how we help you create comprehensive, valuable content for your customers.
Most marketers are obsessed with keyword traffic volume (also called keyword search volume).
The higher the better. Or, at least, that’s the common M.O. you’ll encounter.
People think higher traffic volume = more people searching for the keyword = more traffic coming to their pages optimized and ranking for that keyword.
But, what if bigger, higher, and more aren’t what you should be looking for in keyword traffic volume? ❗❓
What if high traffic volume doesn’t mean what you think it does? What if it’s just a vanity metric?!
If at this point you’re thinking “Julia has lost her mind!” – stay with me.
I’m here to make a case for those keywords on the low end of traffic volume. I’ll also dive into what keyword traffic volume means, how to find GREAT keywords for your niche and audience, and recommend some amazing tools that will help get the job done.
Still skeptical about how low traffic volume can be desirable for keywords? Let me explain…
What Is Keyword Traffic Volume? What Does It Mean?
Keyword traffic volume, or keyword search volume, is a metric that reports the average number of people entering a given keyword into a search engine over a specific period.
For example, if you look up the keyword “SEO content writing” in a tool like SEMrush, you’ll see immediately the keyword traffic volume is 1K.
Note the database is set to the United States – this means, on average, 1,000 people in the U.S. searched this keyword on Google in one month (in this case, February 2020).
Why does this information matter? Because targeting a keyword with X search volume means you have the potential to draw X number of people to a page optimized for that keyword.
Let’s say you optimize and publish a comprehensive blog targeting the keyword “SEO content writing.” If you rank in the top 5 results, there’s a good chance of earning a click from at least a few of those 1K searchers typing that keyword into Google.
Now that you understand what keyword traffic volume means, let’s look at the difference between two keywords, one with high traffic volume and one with low traffic volume.
[bctt tweet=”What if high keyword traffic volume is just a vanity metric?! If you’re currently thinking ‘@JuliaEMcCoy has lost her mind!’ – just one minute. She’s here to make a case for those keywords on the low end of traffic volume. ” username=”ExpWriters”]
We’ll also discuss why high traffic volume is often just a vanity metric. A lot of the time, targeting high volume keywords will do nothing for your ROI or bottom-line.
[bctt tweet=”#Truthbomb – high keyword traffic volume is often just a vanity metric. A lot of the time, targeting high volume keywords will do nothing for your ROI or bottom-line. Learn more here ” username=”ExpWriters”]
1. High vs. Low Keyword Traffic Volume: How They Map to Search Intent (and Why It Matters)
There’s a reason why keywords with exploding search volume are so popular for SEO.
Example: “SEO”. This keyword has a traffic volume of 135K.
Why? It’s a general, informational type of search. That means the people looking up that keyword have little-to-zero buying intent. Instead, they just need information – and in some cases, the SERP itself has enough information to satisfy that need.
To drive my point home, let’s look at the click data for this keyword on Ahrefs:
Sure, people search this keyword at least 135,000 times in one month. BUT, only 34% of those searches ended in a person clicking on one of the results.
Why might this be true?
Guess #1: People looking up “SEO” just need a simple definition. They might not know what the acronym stands for. Luckily, Google pulled a definition from Wikipedia and featured it on the SERP in a Knowledge Panel.
Boom. There’s the answer. No clicking required.
Guess #2: There are multiple guides on “what is SEO” on the SERP for this keyword (see below). When people DO click, they’re clicking on a few results to find the best answer to that question.
Now, let’s look at a narrower keyword with lower traffic volume: “local SEO for small business”. According to SEMrush, it has a traffic volume of 210.
This keyword is long-tail, which means it has more than 3 words in a phrase. It’s also narrower in scope because it gets more specific: not just SEO but local SEO – not for everyone, but for a small business.
“Local SEO for small business” is so low-competition, there isn’t enough data to populate the click trends in Ahrefs:
However, we can see that the top result for this keyword is getting 23 visitors/month from this SERP.
Those 23 visitors have higher buying intent (or commercial intent) behind their search. Generally, the more specific the search term, the higher the buyer intent and interest. Those people could turn into a sale.
In contrast, most of the 135-165K searching “SEO” have very low buying intent, if any at all.
Which keyword makes more sense to target to you – especially if you’re a small brand focused on growth?
2. Why High Search Volume Keywords Aren’t Necessarily Better
High volume keywords aren’t always better for targeting.
Even if you could rank for a broad keyword with high volume like “SEO”, and even if a majority of that traffic filtered to your page, that would still mean 100,000 useless visitors with no real interest in your brand or intent to buy. They would come and go with nary a profitable action in sight.
Now, consider this: Wouldn’t it make MORE sense to target a narrower keyword with far less traffic volume, but with real buying intent behind it? It’s the difference between 100,000 uninterested visitors vs. 10 clients ready to whip out their wallets.
And, yes, I’m saying you should target keywords with a traffic volume of 10. If those keywords are specific enough, only people with a distinct interest in what you offer with intent to buy will be searching for them.
[bctt tweet=”Yes, she went there – @JuliaEMcCoy says you SHOULD go after keywords with a traffic volume of 10. ‼ If those keywords are specific enough, only people with big interest in what you offer (with intent to BUY) will be searching them. ” username=”ExpWriters”]
Advice for New Websites on Keywords and Traffic Volume
For new sites especially, this goes double. New sites have NO authority to compete with the big guns. They have no backlinks and no blogging history. To rank AT ALL, a new site must, MUST go after low competition keywords with low traffic volume.
[bctt tweet=”.@JuliaEMcCoy says: To rank AT ALL, a new site must, MUST go after low competition keywords with low traffic volume. ⬇” username=”ExpWriters”]
However, once you start building authority, the story changes slightly. Generally, I recommend not going after keywords with heavier competition and higher traffic volume until month 12 or later. You need at least one year under your belt of publishing consistent, high-quality content. Then, once you have higher trust flow and better domain authority (DA), you can start competing.
Want to nail those big keywords? You need the gravitas, first. Time to start building up your content! ⌚
How to Find Keywords That Work for Your Content (How We Do It at EW)
Before you head straight to a keyword search volume checker to find good keywords, stop. You’re getting ahead of yourself.
First, you need to look a bit broader to find relevant terms that speak to both your brand and your audience. Then you can vet them in terms of traffic volume and difficulty.
Here’s how to find keywords with the method I use for my content.
1. Start with Topic Circles
Finding good keywords starts with finding good topics for your content. When your topics are relevant to your niche and your audience, your keywords will be, too.
For our content strategy at Express Writers, I use a concept called Topic Circles to make this easy to understand. It looks like a Venn Diagram – one circle represents what your audience is looking for, content-wise, and one circle represents your business niche. Where they overlap is the sweet spot for content, topics, and keywords. I teach how to find yours (or your client’s), and build an entire content strategy around it, in The Content Strategy & Marketing Course.
[bctt tweet=”The collision of your business niche and your audience’s search/content needs is your sweet spot for topics, keywords, and content. ” username=”ExpWriters”]
Great example: Buzzsprout is a company with tools for hosting, promoting, and tracking podcasts. At the same time, one of their audience pain points is figuring out how to start a podcast.
Once you choose relevant topics, you need to look for those niche keywords everywhere. That means:
Long-tail (three-word phrases or longer)
Low volume (under 1,000 searches/month is a great benchmark)
Low competition (as measured with the Keyword Difficulty metric, or KD, in various tools – usually, we look for keywords rated at 40 and below)
Where these three things overlap is yet another sweet spot to hone in on.
For us at EW, focusing on niche keywords has been KEY. It’s even worked well enough to build up 5 brands from scratch and earn 100,000 visitors/month.
Not bad, right?
3 Recommended Keyword Tools for Analyzing Search/Traffic Volume
Now that you know what niche keywords look like in theory, it’s time to examine them in practice.
Let’s look at the long-tail keyword we talked about earlier, “local SEO for small business”, in three of my favorite keyword research tools: SEMrush, KWFinder, and Ahrefs.
1. SEMrush
SEMrush is a comprehensive tool for not only keyword research, but also rank tracking, topic research, competitive analysis, and more.
Here’s what our keyword looks like when we plug it into the search bar in SEMrush. The metrics we care about are highlighted below, with one caveat:
…What’s that “Competition” metric about? That’s not the same as Keyword Difficulty… Right?
Right.
“Competition” actually refers to “Competitive Density”, NOT Keyword Difficulty.
Competitive Density is a metric that measures paid competition in the SERP for that keyword (think PPC – SEMrush explains in detail in this guide). In other words, how much will you have to spend to rank in the paid search results? The closer to 1.00 you get, the harder it will be.
Keyword Difficulty, on the other hand, is a metric that refers to your chances of organically ranking with SEO alone. For this metric, keywords are rated on a scale of 1-100. The closer to 100 you get, the harder it is to rank organically for that keyword.
To find this metric in SEMrush, we need to do some extra clicking. Go to the left menu and click the arrow next to Keyword Analytics, then go down to Keyword Difficulty:
Ah, there’s the metric we’re looking for.
As you can see, our long-tail keyword “local SEO for small business” has a KD of 58.66, according to SEMrush data.
This is a little higher than what we’ll see in other tools. Keep reading to see what I mean.
2. KWFinder
Perhaps the most user-friendly keyword tool EVER, KWFinder is great if you’re new to this type of research. The data pops and is easy to read and analyze.
Here’s our keyword in KWFinder with the data we need highlighted:
The above screenshot additionally makes it clear why we need to consult more than one keyword tool when digging into a keyword. The data is slightly different.
That’s expected, though. No one keyword tool should be your holy grail, because no tool is 100% accurate.
Instead, you should spread out your research and weigh the numbers you see in each tool. Notice trends, see how close the numbers are, and THEN decide if the keyword is worth going after.
3. Ahrefs Keyword Explorer
Ahrefs is seamless and easy to use, making it a popular keyword tool choice. It also offers valuable data on clicks in the SERPs you won’t find elsewhere.
Here’s our keyword after we search it in Ahrefs’ Keyword Explorer. Once again, I’ve highlighted the data we care about most.
Right off the bat, the information I’m looking for is front-and-center. Immediately, I can see this is a keyword opportunity for any business in the niche (super-low difficulty, and a low traffic volume that will STILL bring a good amount of extremely qualified leads your way).
When I weigh this information against the data we found in SEMrush and KWFinder, this keyword still looks good-to-go. The traffic volume ranges from 150-220 searches/month, and the KD ranges from 12 on the low end to 58-59 on the high end. Averaged out, the KD is 32. Still possible!
I also teach every step in SEO writing in a one-week course. Check it out here: The Expert SEO Content Writer. Get a free sneak peek at the lesson content in the ebook below!
Extra Credit: Why Not Use Google Keyword Planner/Google Ads?
You may have noticed, in ALL the blogs I have ever written about keywords, I never recommend Google Keyword Planner as a tool.
There’s a good reason for that.
Google Keyword Planner data is WILDLY inaccurate. This is not the best free keyword research tool – it’s the worst.
[bctt tweet=”The *worst* keyword research tool? Google Keyword Planner. Its data is WILDLY inaccurate due to the focus on averages and ranges. ” username=”ExpWriters”]
1. The numbers are heavily rounded. What you see reported in GKP are not exact numbers, but rather ranges.
For example, when I search for keyword data, I’m not given a precise number for search volume. Instead, GKP tells me the “Avg. monthly searches” fall between 100 – 1,000.
This isn’t helpful at all. There’s a HUGE difference between 100 and 1,000 monthly searches (10x!!) for a keyword, especially when you’re a small business. Not helpful, Google. ♀️
2. The information isn’t precise at all. GKP does the same thing for their “Competition” metric as for search volume. We don’t get a precise rating or percentage – instead, we get a range.
According to Google, the keyword I searched has “low” competition. Low compared to what??
There are plenty of other reasons not to use this tool – see this Moz article, Google Keyword Planner’s Dirty Secrets, to see what I mean. (It was published in 2015, but it’s still relevant!)
Now That You Understand Keyword Traffic Volume, Do Something About It
Keyword traffic volume is a tricky metric. High volume isn’t necessarily better, and low volume isn’t necessarily bad.
In actuality, some long-tail keywords with low volume could be AMAZING for bringing qualified leads to your content and website.
After all, what’s better: 100,000 visitors who don’t care and never buy…
Or 10 visitors who immediately become clients??!
You do the math.
Create epic content today that pulls in your audience. It’s never too late!
This post was originally published in October, 2013 and completely updated in May, 2020.
Your well-crafted press release is sizzling and ready to see the world.
There’s just one more hurdle to leap over before the job is done: who (and where) should you send it to?
There are two main tactics for how to release a press release. The first stems from the old days. It involves subscribing to a syndication service. The second is a modern approach: developing personal relationships with journalists. Both are valid options, depending on the needs and budget of your brand.
We’ll explore both methods, as well as best practices for releasing your news so you can make a solid press release plan. Let’s dive in!
[bctt tweet=”Your well-crafted press release is sizzling and ready to see the world. There’s just one more hurdle to leap over before the job is done: who (and where) should you send it to? Find out via @JuliaEMcCoy:” username=”ExpWriters”]
The Traditional Method: Distributing Via the Wire
Want to read thousands of journalists, influencers, bloggers, reporters, and editors in one shot? Consider using a press release syndication service. Here are a few of the top service providers:
While this method is fast and easy, it isn’t free. Leading distributor Newswire costs between $150 to $800 for a single PR, which may push it out of the price range of up-and-coming brands.
If your brand has the budget and is looking for a wide reach, the time-saving investment may be worth it. However, it’s worth noting that professionals report high ROI from relationships with journalists, and caution against sending too many cold, impersonal PRs via the wire.
Let’s say you’re still growing your media list, though, and you’re not sure where to pitch. Using a syndication service can quickly reveal which publications are interested in your news, allowing you to skip the step of in-depth research in your quest to build lasting relationships with journalists. That’s why using distribution services are part of a balanced PR strategy.
The Modern Strategy: Building Your Media List on Relationships
Beyond saving time, the biggest benefit of investing in big-name syndication services is that they build a media list for you and track your results. If it’s your first rodeo, that simplification can seem like a boon. But it comes at a cost: By relying on press release distribution services rather than building a personalized media list, your brand will grow to depend on those same services.
However, it’s possible to construct a valuable media list on your own and start building relationships right away. According to Gil Eyal from the Forbes Agency Council, this improves PR results because you’re pitching to people who are genuinely interested in your news. It’s a more personal approach, and it’s the way the PR industry is moving.
It isn’t hard to future-proof your brand’s media outreach and drive down your PR budget. It all starts with building your own media list. Here’s how.
1. Find Your Target Audience
Consider who you’re trying to reach with your press release: customers, investors, or industry leaders?
Ask yourself a few simple questions:
How old is my audience?
What background demographic do they come from?
Where do they get their news?
Here’s an example of how to find your target audience.
Let’s say you’re writing a press release for a portable blender brand. Your goal is to increase sales for the newest model and spur brand awareness, so your audience is potential customers.
Your audience includes:
Health-conscious people
Fitness-minded people
Gym owners
Eco-friendly people
People who enjoy tech and gadgets
Retailers who sell cooking gadgets
Based on this target audience, your media list should start here:
Fitness and health magazines
Food and cooking magazines
Home and lifestyle magazines
Fitness and health influencers and blogs
Eco-friendly, yoga, and vegan influencers
Trade press publications targeting retailers
Journalists regularly curating kitchen gadget lists and smoothie recipes
Stumped on which publications to pitch to? A quick Google News search with your keyword or topic will help you brainstorm.
2. Zero In On Your Goal Publications
Always read a few articles, posts, or blogs first. This will save a TON of time in the long run, and prevent you from making the reputation-damaging blunder of barking up the wrong tree.
Short on time? Here’s a quick checklist.
A. Check the publication’s reach. For blogs, check the Alexa ranking. A score 100,000 or below means they have a wide reach. For social influencers, look at their follower count. For news publications, check out their social media activity as well as the average comments per article.
B. Watch out for low activity. Any online publication, influencer, or blog that posts less than once a month (a snail’s pace on the internet) is likely not reaching enough people to warrant sending a PR. The exception: monthly print publications like trade journals.
C. Look for articles or posts in your niche. If you can’t find any, it’s probably not the right publication for you.
D. Click on the byline and read the bio. Most writers include social handles in their bios. Jumpstart your online relationship by sharing one of their articles on your brand’s social media page.
E. Reach out on Twitter. Many journalists include a work email in their Twitter bio. If they don’t, try sending a professional direct message.
F. No luck on Twitter? Try LinkedIn. If you’re looking to pitch to a large news outlet, you can often find their roster in the “People” section of their company LinkedIn page.
G. If you can’t find who you’re looking for, call. Dust off your landline and look for the editor’s phone number of the section you’re pitching to.
3. Create Your Media List
Use a simple, easy-to-edit spreadsheet. Journalists change publications often, so the focus of the media list should be on specific publications interested in publishing your news.
Here’s a sample media list I built from the brainstorm above:
Don’t forget to regularly update the contact details for your target journalists, influencers, and bloggers. Now your media list is ready for action!
Double-Check Submissions Guidelines
You’re well on your way toward sending your red-hot press release. Before submitting, pore over the submissions guidelines to ensure you haven’t forgotten any important steps.
This quick but critical step can be the difference between your PR getting published or getting trashed. Don’t skip it!
[bctt tweet=”It isn’t hard to future-proof your brand’s media outreach and drive down your press release budget. It all starts with building your own media list. Learn how to do it here:” username=”ExpWriters”]
How to Send an Email Introducing a Press Release to Journalists
Nail your first impression by following email etiquette for press releases. Etiquette 101: write your PR in the body of your email. In-body PRs allow for more personalization while simplifying your target journalist’s job, which in turn will increase your chance of getting published.
Before you hit “send”, make sure your submission email has all of these elements:
Subject – Don’t use the phrase “press release”. Instead, use the topic of your PR.
Greeting – Do your homework: address the person you’re pitching to directly. Skipping this step can make your message seem cold and out of touch.
First Paragraph – If it’s the first time you’re reaching out, this is where you should introduce yourself.
Second Paragraph – Elaborate on the purpose of your email here.
Third Paragraph – Your call-to-action should go here.
Closing – Thank your contact, and open the door for them to follow up.
Signature – Provide your full contact information here.
Here’s a sample press release email from Prowly:
Send your press release to all relevant contacts on your media list. If you don’t get a response, don’t take it personally. Instead, follow up your press release with photos. Even better: if you didn’t include one initially, now’s the time to send a press kit. For inspiration, check out Kickstarter’s press kit.
A press kit should include:
An about section
Bios of important company figures who are available for interview
Recent, important press releases
Fact sheets for products or services
Case studies, surveys, stats, or testimonials
Notable press coverage
Notable awards
Multimedia, including high-quality images
Contact information for your marketing team
Notable FAQs
[bctt tweet=”Press release etiquette 101: Write your PR in the body of your email. This allows for more personalization while simplifying your target journalist’s job, which increases your chance of getting published. ” username=”ExpWriters”]
Send a Story That’s Ready to Publish
Make it easy for reporters to envision your story as a published piece by submitting a PR that’s copy-paste friendly.
What makes a PR ready to publish? Here’s your DIY press release format.
Style – Learn the voice your target publication uses and parrot it. For example, influencers often use a conversational 2nd person, so a blog-style PR will likely see more success.
Format – What kind of font and subtitle style does your target publication use? What color palette do they prefer?
Multimedia– Consider the media they regularly post, and emphasize that media type.
Social media optimized – Don’t forget to include all of your social media handles for easy sharing.
Press kit– As mentioned above, a press kit will make it easier for the journalist to craft a story.
For more guidance, check out our sample press release template.
Always Follow Up
Immediately after sending your submission email, reach out directly via email, Twitter, or LinkedIn. If you have a standing relationship, consider calling. In a brief message, let them know you’ve just sent a PR and share a few intriguing teasers. Provide your contact information for further questions and exit gracefully.
Even if your original PR isn’t published, following up can establish a cordial line of communication, improving your chances of publishing PRs down the line.
Leverage Social Media
Before publication, optimize your headline and intro for different formats. Think about how each social platform best serves the message of your PR, and what kinds of engagement you’re looking to push forward.
Here’s an example of what happens when a brand misses the mark:
Between 2 identical posts, the topic garnered only 7 likes. With so little interaction, the wording wasn’t relevant enough to hook their Facebook audience.
Here’s an example of a press release optimized for social media:
Reebok’s #PermissionToPause press release was primed for Twitter from the get-go.
By reworking the headline, too, Reebok stimulated engagement, which drove their posts to the top of the trending hashtag.
Make it Shareable
Many brands craft shareable versions of their press releases for their websites to show transparency.
If your brand decides to go this route, be careful not to use the exact same PR, especially if it was published as-is. Google will demote it, which could cost your website valuable SEO.
Some brands get around this by creating an investor portal and fan portal, with formal press releases and blog versions of PRs, respectively. Others have a news section of their website that includes PRs published by major publications, which works as a credibility-booster.
No matter which method you choose, adding social buttons for easy sharing will boost the reach of your PR.
Ready to spread the word? Leap from sideshow to main stage with the help of our expert on-staff journalists.
Hit “Send”
By now, you’ve got the tools you need to know how to distribute a press release. By building a tailored media list and sticking to submission guidelines, you’ll have a publish-ready piece at your fingertips. You’re ready to email your press release to journalists with confidence. Now it’s time to hit “send”.
Need to sharpen your news before sending it to the press? Check our Content Shop.
This was originally published in 2017 and updated in May, 2020.
What if I told you about a hot content marketing tool that allows you to dig deep into your audience’s brain? ?
This tool can tell you what your audience is feeling right now.
Their current thoughts. What they’re looking for when they go online. The #1 topic they want to read about.
Would you use it?
Of course!
Because the truth is, keyword research tools aren’t enough to help you generate steaming content your readers will devour, reread, and share.
I’m not saying they aren’t necessary. They are. In fact, it’s almost impossible to do SEO right without these tools.
But SEO by itself isn’t enough to build a brand.
The ultimate recipe for success is SEO plus hot topics your audience cares about.
So, how can you discover these hot topics?
In this guide, I’ll show you how to do it using BuzzSumo.
Let’s dive in!
How to Use BuzzSumo: 5 Ways You Can Use BuzzSumo to Discover Hot Topics Your Audience Adores
So, what is BuzzSumo used for?
BuzzSumo is the ultimate content discovery tool. It constantly gets updated with brand new features, so you always know what kind of content your audience wants and exactly what they’re engaging with online.
Here’s a list of awesome things you can do with BuzzSumo:
Instantly generate tons of hot topic ideas
Index over 3.5 billion articles and posts
Get an updated list of the most powerful influencers in your industry
Spy on your competitors
Monitor everything that’s going on online
[bctt tweet=”5 ways to use @buzzsumo to discover hot topics: 1️⃣ Analyze top-shared content 2️⃣ Find top niche influencers 3️⃣ Find trending topics 4️⃣ Use Topic Discovery to generate ideas 5️⃣ Analyze top YouTube content ?” username=”ExpWriters”]
We at Express Writers absolutely love BuzzSumo. In fact, we use it extensively for our content strategy services.
It allows us to:
Put our clients ahead of their competitors by knowing what their audience really wants to learn
Discover steaming hot topics in any niche
Save tons of time in the brainstorming process
Let’s go into detail and dive into five ways you can use BuzzSumo to discover topics your audience will love.
BuzzSumo pricing guide:
Pro: $99/month billed monthly or $79/month billed annually
Plus: $179/month billed monthly or $139/month billed annually
Large: $299/month billed monthly or $239/month billed annually
Enterprise: $499/month
#1: Get Ideas from the Web Content Analyzer
BuzzSumo is your forensic tool for digging into your audience’s brain and finding out what they’re interested in. With the Web Content Analyzer feature, you get a list of the top content people engaged with based on a certain keyword.
[bctt tweet=”.@buzzsumo is your forensic tool for digging into your audience’s brain and finding out what they’re interested in ?️♀️. Learn how to use it like an expert:” username=”ExpWriters”]
[bctt tweet=”What if I told you about a hot content marketing tool that allows you to dig deep into your audience’s brain? ?✨ No, it’s not magic – it’s @buzzsumo! Learn how to use this mighty tool via @JuliaEMcCoy:” username=”ExpWriters”]
To get started, click on Content and select Web Content Analyzer.
Source: BuzzSumo
Type your chosen keyword in the search bar.
Click on Search. What you’ll get is a list of content pieces with the highest number of engagement from your audience.
As you can see, a piece about Bill Gates and the coronavirus tops the list with 34.6K total engagements. This gives you a hint on what your audience is thinking about and the kind of content they want to read and share.
Want to filter your results by time? Simply click the filter button and select an option to see results from the last 24 hours, the past week, the past month, and as much as five years ago.
For example, here’s the result you’ll get when you choose the 24-hour filter.
The next step is to click on the top content pieces and find out why your audience loved them. What made them special? More importantly, how can you improve on them in your own content?
Here’s an example.
Because this piece comes in the number two spot within the six-month filter, you now know that your audience is interested in being more productive in their content creation.
Now, it’s your turn to create content with your own tips and tricks on how to be productive!
Bonus: Experiment with the filters! They’re amazing. You can search for content based on type of article, word count, and even a specific domain.
#2: Find Top Influencers in Your Niche
Finding the top influencers in your niche will help you in three ways:
You can gain inspiration from their content
You can spy on them and improve on what’s missing in their content
You can get networking opportunities
To get started in your search for BuzzSumo influencers, hover over Influencers on the top bar and click Authors. You can also search for influencers on Twitter, YouTube, or Facebook.
In the Authors search bar, you can find top authors by looking up a topic or domain. For example, here’s the results for a search on Forbes.com.
On the left side, you can see the author’s name and Twitter handle. On the right, you can see how many articles each author published, plus their average and total engagement.
Select View Top Content to see each author’s top pieces.
For example, here are the top results for Zack Friedman.
Looking for top influencers in your niche? Simply type in your desired keyword instead of a domain name in the search bar.
Here are the results for “content marketing.” (I come in at #2, yay! ?)
#3: Find Trending Topics with BuzzSumo’s Discover Feature
Want to find content that’s creating a large amount of buzz online?
Searching for trending topics within the last 24 hours (or less!) is the way to do it.
To begin, go to the Discover option and click Trending.
This will show you the top content pieces driving tons of engagement online.
On the left toolbar, you can filter your search by topics.
For example, click Fashion and you get this.
The magic is you can create your own custom feeds. Simply scroll down on the left-hand toolbar and click the plus sign beside the Custom Feeds option.
Use the filters to create your own custom feeds.
The filters allow you to add topics to your search, exclude results, and limit to or exclude certain domains. Here’s an example custom feed.
Click Update Feed and use it to filter your results. Here’s the top result for “content marketing trends.”
Is your audience looking for ways to win at SEO during COVID-19? Hmmm… You could write something on that.
#4: Generate Tons of Content Ideas with Topic Discovery
This option is a great choice when you’re feeling stuck and want an inspirational brainwave. It helps you find a ton of hot topic possibilities in seconds.
[bctt tweet=”.@buzzsumo’s Topic Discovery tool is a great choice when you’re feeling stuck and need some inspirational brainwaves. Learn how to use it via @JuliaEMcCoy ?” username=”ExpWriters”]
To start, go to Discover and select Topics.
Type a keyword in the search bar. Keep it broad to get a wide range of results. (You can always narrow it down later.)
What you’ll get is a brain cloud of content ideas for your chosen subject. The options in larger font are the options most relevant to your search.
Scroll down to go more in-depth on each keyword. You can find out great content ideas, common questions asked on the topics, and related keywords.
Want to test a term based on engagement? Click on it to view its performance over time. For instance, select “SEO tools” within the brain cloud. You get this.
#5: Analyze Top Content on YouTube
This option is new to BuzzSumo, and it’s absolutely GREAT because YouTube is a huge platform with two billion monthly users. Imagine the exposure you can get for your brand with this audience!
So, how can you find hot topics on YouTube?
Hover over Content, and click the YouTube option.
Type your keyword into the search bar. For instance, this shows results for the keyword “guitar lessons.”
The amazing part is you can click on Analysis to find out the secrets behind high engagement on YouTube.
Want to find the top influencers on YouTube?
Head over to Influencers and select YouTube. Follow the same steps to finding top influencers in your industry.
Here are the top guitar lesson influencers on YouTube.
A Step-by-Step Guide to Discovering Hot Topics and Keywords for Your Content
Now, let’s go into a step-by-step on how to map your topics and keywords for outstanding content. (This is exactly how we do it at Express Writers!)
Step #1: Come Up with Goals for Your Content
Each piece of content you write must have its own specific goal. If you don’t have goals, you’ll be creating tons of random content that don’t fit into your overarching content marketing goals.
[bctt tweet=”Each piece of content you write must have its own specific goal. ? If you don’t have goals, you’ll be creating tons of random content that don’t fit into your overarching #contentmarketinggoals.” username=”ExpWriters”]
To guide my content, I came up with a unique concept I call the “three bucket strategy.” (Read more about this concept on my blog, Content Goals: Here’s How to Come Up With Profitable Content Marketing Ideas Using My 3-Bucket Topic Strategy. I also teach this in-depth in my comprehensive, 6-week Content Strategy and Marketing Course.)
Step #2: Use BuzzSumo to Discover Hot Topics for Your Content Buckets
The next thing you’ll do is go to BuzzSumo and use one (or more!) of the five tips above to find topics your audience will love. Research topics to fill all your content buckets.
Step #3: Use an SEO Tool to Map Out a Keyword
Remember, BuzzSumo works flawlessly with the best SEO tools out there. So, once you’ve decided on a topic, take it to your SEO tool of choice to map it to a keyword.
Let’s say you chose the topic “SEO tools” from the topic discovery option on BuzzSumo.
Take it into an SEO tool like KWFinder to discover if you should try to rank for this keyword.
Should you? Apparently, no. Although the search volume for “SEO tools” is high, its keyword difficulty score is 69/100. This means you’ll be going up against huge brands, and it’ll be almost impossible to compete for this keyword.
Source: KWFinder.com
What you can do is look up related keywords. Remember, a keyword difficulty score below 50 is considered good.
And we got one! “Best SEO tools” has a keyword difficulty score of 40 and a search volume of 5,400. Not bad!
See how BuzzSumo works flawlessly with an SEO tool?
At Express Writers, we use only the best of the best tools for our content strategy services. These are the same tools I teach to my students that we use in my programs.
Here are the top SEO tools we recommend.
SEMrush is the ultimate keyword research tool that allows you to do in-depth keyword research, detailed domain analytics, lead generation, in-depth competitor research, and more!
Ahrefs
Ahrefs is a tool that comes packed with everything you need for keyword research and SEO analysis. It allows you to do SEO audits, comprehensive backlink analysis, and domain comparison.
KWFinder is an extremely user-friendly keyword research tool that’s more affordable than the other two above. Although KWFinder is only for keyword research, you can sign up for the basic plan to get access to a ton of other Mangools tools (SERPchecker, SERPwatcher, SiteProfiler, etc.).
Want to dive deeper into which keyword research tool is best for you? Check out my blog, 3 Must-Have Content Tools for Marketers: SEMrush, KWFinder, Ahrefs.
A Look into the Future of Discovering Hot Topics Your Audience Loves
Worried you’ll wake up one morning with no idea what to write for your blog? (This used to be me! Find out the story in my FREE masterclass).
With topic research from BuzzSumo, you don’t have to feel this way ever again.
In fact, you’ll be drowning in a deep well of topics your audience will beg you to create!
So, is BuzzSumo worth it?
From me and my team, a HUGE BIG YES!!
Want hot content based on expert keyword and topic research? Visit our Content Shop to learn more.]]>
[bctt tweet=”5 ways to use @buzzsumo to discover hot topics: 1️⃣ Analyze top-shared content 2️⃣ Find top niche influencers 3️⃣ Find trending topics 4️⃣ Use Topic Discovery to generate ideas 5️⃣ Analyze top YouTube content ?” username=”ExpWriters”]
We at Express Writers absolutely love BuzzSumo. In fact, we use it extensively for our 
[bctt tweet=”.@buzzsumo is your forensic tool for digging into your audience’s brain and finding out what they’re interested in ?️♀️. Learn how to use it like an expert:” username=”ExpWriters”]
[bctt tweet=”What if I told you about a hot content marketing tool that allows you to dig deep into your audience’s brain? ?✨ No, it’s not magic – it’s @buzzsumo! Learn how to use this mighty tool via @JuliaEMcCoy:” username=”ExpWriters”]
To get started, click on Content and select Web Content Analyzer.
Click on Search. What you’ll get is a list of content pieces with the highest number of engagement from your audience.
As you can see, 
For example, here’s the result you’ll get when you choose the 24-hour filter.
The next step is to click on the top content pieces and find out why your audience loved them. What made them special? More importantly, how can you improve on them in your own content?
Here’s an example.
In the Authors search bar, you can find top authors by looking up a topic or domain. For example, here’s the results for a search on 
On the left side, you can see the author’s name and Twitter handle. On the right, you can see how many articles each author published, plus their average and total engagement.
Select View Top Content to see each author’s top pieces.
For example, here are the top results for Zack Friedman.
Looking for top influencers in your niche? Simply type in your desired keyword instead of a domain name in the search bar.
Here are the results for “content marketing.” (I come in at #2, yay! ?)
This will show you the top content pieces driving tons of engagement online.
On the left toolbar, you can filter your search by topics.
For example, click Fashion and you get this.
The magic is you can create your own custom feeds. Simply scroll down on the left-hand toolbar and click the plus sign beside the Custom Feeds option.
Use the filters to create your own custom feeds.
The filters allow you to add topics to your search, exclude results, and limit to or exclude certain domains. Here’s an example custom feed.
Click Update Feed and use it to filter your results. Here’s the top result for “content marketing trends.”
Is your audience looking for ways to win at SEO during COVID-19? Hmmm… You could write something on that.
[bctt tweet=”.@buzzsumo’s Topic Discovery tool is a great choice when you’re feeling stuck and need some inspirational brainwaves. Learn how to use it via @JuliaEMcCoy ?” username=”ExpWriters”]
To start, go to Discover and select Topics.
Type a keyword in the search bar. Keep it broad to get a wide range of results. (You can always narrow it down later.)
What you’ll get is a brain cloud of content ideas for your chosen subject. The options in larger font are the options most relevant to your search.
Scroll down to go more in-depth on each keyword. You can find out great content ideas, common questions asked on the topics, and related keywords.
Want to test a term based on engagement? Click on it to view its performance over time. For instance, select “SEO tools” within the brain cloud. You get this.
Type your keyword into the search bar. For instance, this shows results for the keyword “guitar lessons.”
The amazing part is you can click on Analysis to find out the secrets behind high engagement on YouTube.
Want to find the top influencers on YouTube?
Head over to Influencers and select YouTube. Follow the same steps to finding top influencers in your industry.
Here are the top guitar lesson influencers on YouTube.
[bctt tweet=”Each piece of content you write must have its own specific goal. ? If you don’t have goals, you’ll be creating tons of random content that don’t fit into your overarching #contentmarketinggoals.” username=”ExpWriters”]
To guide my content, I came up with a unique concept I call the “three bucket strategy.” (Read more about this concept on my blog, 
See how BuzzSumo works flawlessly with an SEO tool?
