I was listening to a live talk from Jay Baer not too long ago, and this quote hit me hard:
“Stop doing random acts of content. Stop firing content bullets into the air hoping that a customer bird will fly by and that it’ll WORK.”
As this quote permeated my brain, subconsciously stewing while I carried on a typical month interacting with marketers, going through meeting after meeting, leading my team, writing and brainstorming content for all my publications… this thought hit me:
The reason why random content acts don’t work, and why so many believe these low-ROI tactics are still worth trying.
here’s a concept I teach in my Content Strategy & Marketing Course called the “content net.” It’s the antithesis to random acts of content. But, it’s not the norm.
I’m bringing it up today, because, well: content bullets. They need to STOP.
Why? Because one-off content tactics result in dismal content marketing. In an industry that’s already ridiculously tough to break into, relying on content bullets makes NO sense.
Consider this: According to a Backlinko study, 94% of blog posts earn zero external links.
If only 6% of blog posts published get any backlinks, that means it’s a mighty feat to build your link profile and brand authority – especially if your site is brand new.
Even worse, when you ARE able to rank in Google, settling for position #2-10 isn’t enough. You need to be #1 to get the best shot at traffic and leads. That’s because click-through rates (CTR) drastically drop as soon as you fall to position 2, according to an Advanced Web Ranking study. In fact, at position 2, CTR is cut in half.
Unfortunately, ranking #1 for a keyword requires much more than random acts of content. You need more than one bullet to hit the bullseye – especially when that bullseye is a moving target.
So, what exactly does it take?
Let’s get into today’s original concept by yours truly, called the “content ecosystem”, developed to help you understand how and why a long-term, consistent approach to content over time works.
Your Content Bullets Aren’t Working (Why You’re Still Trying Them)
[bctt tweet=”Learn about @JuliaEMcCoy’s original concept called the ‘content ecosystem,’ developed to help you understand how and why a long-term, consistent approach to content over time works. ” username=”ExpWriters”]
Marketers and brands are still relying on content to be their magic shot – the golden bullet that will miraculously hit whatever targets or goals they’re aiming for.
They regard random content as their “golden egg” that will bring in ALL the traffic, leads, and sales $$$ they’ve ever wanted, much like the mythical golden egg from Jack and the Beanstalk (which ensures Jack and his mother live in comfort the rest of their days).
But content doesn’t operate that way.
For it to work, content needs work. It needs a basic foundation of strategic fundamentals in place to succeed. Most marketers don’t do this, or they don’t fully understand how to do it.
According to a ClearVoice survey of 1,000 marketers, the biggest content challenges are centered around production: time, content quality, creating content, scaling content, and generating ideas.
But, instead of getting strategic and putting in more legwork, they expect a one-off content bullet to make the magic happen and the sales fly in.
How did this happen? How did so many marketers come to think of content as a miraculous solution?
No matter the situation, pretty much nothing in life works like this.
One random act rarely to never equals a level 10 success.
Does a workout, for instance, lead to an instant buff physique? NO. If you pick up the violin, will you be able to play Bach in a week? AS IF.
Look at any major “people” success story. Oprah and her empire. Elon Musk and Tesla. Steve Jobs and Mac. NONE of these mega-brand legacies came about from overnight success or a shot in the dark. These people all worked their butts off to succeed.
Does any good thing in life work this way? Typically not.
So, why are we trying to apply this line of thinking to marketing, to business?
If you could get one-on-one advice from Oprah or Steve Jobs’ ghost or Elon Musk (dreams, am I right?), what do you think they would say?
Here’s my guess:
Quit wimping out and trying to take shortcuts. Quit copying and pasting what “experts” do or say and hoping instant success will come. Stop trying one little tweak and expecting the world to fall in your lap.
Success is about hard work. Not luck, not a shot in the dark, and certainly not a magic bullet. And that absolutely holds true for content.
[bctt tweet=”Success is about hard work. Not luck, not a shot in the dark, and not a magic bullet. And that absolutely holds true for content. ” username=”ExpWriters”]
Why Today’s Audience Won’t Stand for the Content Bullet
Let’s take this one step further. Content bullets won’t work for you, but also, they won’t EVER work for your audience.
Look at the state of marketing online – people can smell an inauthentic, fake, or “doing it for the likes, follows, traffic, $$” approach from a mile away.
The CTR of Facebook ads is dismal – 0.5 – 1.6% – because people are seeing through the bullsh*t marketers and the Lamborghini lies.
Every marketing channel you’ve ever relied on is decaying. Andrew Chen calls this “the law of shitty clickthroughs.” It just means that, even when you find a marketing strategy that works, it will inevitably stop working due to increased competition, fading novelty, and more scale. “First to market” means nothing in an online world where saturation happens FAST.
As recently as 2018, Instagram has doubled-down on eradicating fake bot accounts, fake likes, and fake followers. People who used to pay to fake a super-popular, engaged account are up a creek without a paddle. (It’s no wonder users prize authenticity online since so much of what we see is staged or fake.)
Finally, let’s not forget that people don’t trust ads. In particular, 79% of Gen Z participants said in a recent study that they “avoid ads whenever [they] can.”
Simply put, content bullets pushed out with a “get ROI NOW” mentality are entirely dependent on luck – not a proven formula. Most of all, they can’t possibly contain the heart or soul they need to succeed with audiences hungry for authentic experiences.
Think Beyond Content Bullets – Enter: The Content Ecosystem
That brings us back around to something I mentioned earlier, a concept I teach in my Content Strategy & Marketing Course: the content net.
It’s the opposite of a magic content bullet.
Another synonymous name for it is a content ecosystem.
Your content ecosystem is a whole host of content pieces tied together and supported by consistency and underlying brand quality.
It. Does. Not. Compromise.
Instead of taking a shot at content in the dark, using a content marketing ecosystem is like sitting down to an elaborate content blueprint under a floodlight.
7 Pathways in the Content Ecosystem
The content marketing ecosystem encompasses your entire content marketing operation. It’s made up of separate parts that affect each other. Without the dedication and a commitment to providing value to your audience above all, you can’t hope to make your content ecosystem a smoothly flowing stream of amazingness.
Here’s how it breaks down. Scroll below the infographic for more details in the blog text.
At the deepest levels of your content ecosystem lies our first pathway: brand quality. This needs to exist at the foundation because it does two MAJOR jobs:
It gives your readers an amazing experience at your brand touch points, especially your website and content.
It gears up your pages to earn Google rankings and pull in organic traffic.
Brand quality begins and ends with a great website, one that’s smooth, fast, and all-around awesome. That’s not all, though. Along with speed and responsiveness, your website should also include:
Great content
Beautiful visuals/photography
A clear brand style with:
A distinctive, audience-aimed voice and tone
A recognizable, professional logo and brand color palette
[bctt tweet=”Content ecosystem pathway #1: Brand quality. Qualities: great content, beautiful visuals, audience-aimed voice and tone, a recognizable logo and brand color palette, and an awesome website. ” username=”ExpWriters”]
Hand-in-hand with brand quality, brand consistency is our next important pathway in the content ecosystem.
Specifically, consistency means upholding your quality standards repeatedly over time. If readers can count on your brand to publish and distribute amazing content and experiences, the better off you’ll be. To achieve consistency, you need:
Dependable content quality
Regular content scheduling and maintenance
For example, look at our own high-volume content plan at Express Writers. Our commitment for 8 years has been one long-form, comprehensive piece of content weekly, and we update content on a monthly basis, too.
Thanks to this consistency, we rank for over 18,000 keywords in Google and regularly bring in six-figure income for months.
Another fantastic case study that shows off how brand consistency wins comes from the Cleveland Clinic. If you’ve ever searched a medical health question on Google, you’ve probably seen one of their blogs in the results.
That’s because their consistency is incredible. As their Manager of Digital Engagement, Amanda Todorovich, revealed in an interview with Kuno Creative, they post 3-5 times per day with a team of 40 medical expert bloggers contributing.
Since launching the blog in April 2012, they regularly see over 5 million visitors in a single month. Now that’s the power of quality and consistency!
[bctt tweet=”Content ecosystem pathway #2: Brand consistency. How to achieve it: Dependable content quality and regular content scheduling and maintenance. ” username=”ExpWriters”]
3. Content Creation (Offshoot of brand consistency – affects scaling content and brand authority)
On the path through our content ecosystem, the next step takes us to an offshoot of brand consistency – content creation.
Pouring your best into content creation won’t matter if you can’t uphold that consistently. You need to keep your standards high 24/7 if you expect to grow your brand authority.
Consistency of content creation standards also affects scale. If you can’t replicate your blog quality from one post to the next, you’re probably doing too much and need to scale back for better results.
Content creation standards should always include the following pieces:
Researched
Audience-focused and relevant
Organized and logical
Informative, entertaining, or useful
[bctt tweet=”Content ecosystem pathway #3: Content creation. Content qualities include: researched, audience-focused, organized and logical, and informative and useful. ” username=”ExpWriters”]
4. Content Distribution (Affects brand authority and reach)
Next up, brand consistency and content creation directly affect content distribution. This is how and when you serve your content to your audience.
Of course, part and parcel of distribution is promotion. Sharing your content on social networks is a natural way to ensure more and more people lay their eyeballs on it.
You can’t just distribute content anywhere, though. A major component is posting on the social channels where your audience lives, at the times they’re most likely to engage. If your audience is mainly B2B, that might mean LinkedIn and/or Twitter in the mornings and late evenings. For B2C or ecommerce, it might mean brand presences on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, etc. during hours of the day when engagement is highest.
Finally, content distribution is a direct pathway to brand authority and reach. The more relevant, interesting, and engaging you can be to your audience, the more they will see your posts, interact with your content, and keep you top-of-mind.
[bctt tweet=”Content ecosystem pathway #4: Content distribution. Major component: Posting on social channels where your audience lives and engage. ” username=”ExpWriters”]
5. Scaling Content (Affects brand authority and reach)
As your content gains success, the next pathway in the content ecosystem is scaling. This means producing more or branching out into different types of content, without sacrificing your original commitment to quality.
Scaling is all about optimizing your content workflows to keep production consistent, yet reach more people.
Amanda Todorovich and the Cleveland Clinic blog are great examples of scaling as well as consistency. Although the blog and brand have reached new heights of success, Amanda and her team remain committed to what they can do to produce the highest-quality content possible with the most relevant information for their audience niches.
From a feature on Content Marketing Institute, here are a few insights into how the Cleveland Clinic content marketing team accomplishes this:
They constantly reuse and revise old content. To keep up their daily social media posting quotas, they will share posts from the archives or old posts updated with new research.
They tap the expertise of 40 medical professionals to write, review, and vet posts before they go live. (They need this many people to keep up with their rigorous publishing schedule.)
They have developed formulas for creating great headlines and choosing photos for posts.
They keep tabs on specific measurements for success.
The content team meets daily to discuss how their content efforts are doing.
As you can see, scaling content requires a few keys in place to work:
Efficient and effective workflows in place
Well-defined team roles
Strategists
Writers
Editors
Designers
If you scale the right way, that will naturally lead to higher brand authority and better reach.
[bctt tweet=”Content ecosystem pathway #5: Scaling content. What you need: Efficient and effective workflows and well-defined team roles (strategists, writers, editors, and designers). ” username=”ExpWriters”]
6. Brand Authority (Affects reach)
Results time. (Or, as they say, all roads lead here.)
Most of the pathways in the content ecosystem point here. Once you have the other pieces working harmoniously in a continuous rhythm, your brand authority will grow and evolve.
At this point, the value of one incredibly unique, distinguishing idea grows, too. In other words, it’s time to start publishing your MASTER content pieces, the ones that may put you on the map. This is how you level-up from simply having a brand-aware audience to being “known” in your niche.
Remember: This level is impossible to hit without both brand consistency and quality leading you here, first.
[bctt tweet=”Content ecosystem pathway #6: Brand authority. What you need: Brand consistency and quality pathways + starting to publish master content pieces to be known in your niche. ” username=”ExpWriters”]
7. Reach (Affects scaling content)
If you scale your content correctly, if you leverage your newfound brand authority, then your overall reach will begin to climb, too.
Reach is about reaching new audience members, growing your impact and influence, and adding more people to your loyal tribe.
The major points you need to understand about reach:
Reach shoots up when all other parts of the content ecosystem hit their highest levels
The greater your brand authority/visibility, the greater your reach
Reach propels your content marketing forward to new levels
Scaling content to maintain quality and consistency is key
When your content ecosystem is a smoothly running system, when all pathways naturally flow together, only then can your reach truly explode.
[bctt tweet=”Content ecosystem pathway #7: Reach. What you need: Greater brand authority/visibility, scaling content to maintain quality and consistency. ” username=”ExpWriters”]
Forget Content Bullets or Shots in the Dark: Make Your Content Marketing a Flowing Ecosystem
As you can see, a content ecosystem is a holistic way of thinking about your entire content marketing scheme. It should all flow together.
You can’t let it drop. You can’t compromise for the sake of time or money. And you can’t put all your faith in one or two content bullets.
To truly see sustainable success, marketers MUST uphold a content ecosystem over time and understand how the parts connect, intertwine, and mingle. It’s a series of pathways that require dedication at every stage.
Ideally, as it evolves, it will get better and better until you reach your goals. After that, you can forge ahead to set new goals bigger than you ever dreamed.
I’m often asked the same question – how did Express Writers get where we are today?
The journey to becoming a leading content creation and writing agency wasn’t easy.
It came with all the sacrifices you’d expect – long hours, lack of sleep, and learning from every ups and downs I encountered.
But if I were to point to one thing that made our approach to content marketing so successful, I could sum it up in a single word – strategy.
I’d been in the business of creating content for years. However, great content wasn’t enough to get us to a seven-figure status. For that, it required a strategic approach to researching, building, and promoting content that audiences can benefit from.
I’ve got an entire book and a comprehensive course about content marketing strategy – but today, I’ll give you a preview in the form of a six-step process you can start implementing right away.
6 Steps to Build Your Winning Content Marketing Strategy
1. Define Strategy and How it Relates to Content Marketing
2. Understand Your Audience and How to Reach Them
3. SEO: Learn It, Master It, Implement It
4. Build Brand Authority (and Use It)
5. Combine Strategy with Content Creation
6. Keep the Momentum with Smart Content Management
[bctt tweet=”@JuliaEMcCoy shares the 6 best steps to build your winning #contentmarketingstrategy ” username=”ExpWriters”]
1. Defining Content Marketing Strategy: Framework for Success
Content marketing is undoubtedly a must-have in the modern marketer’s toolkit. The numbers don’t lie.
But in terms of content marketing strategy, also called content strategy for short, we’re talking about a process that begins with planning and extends all the way through management.
Content strategy could be thought of as your knowledge base for creating and promoting great content.
It involves knowing the following:
What is your area of expertise where you can offer the most valuable information?
What is your differentiating factor that makes you stand out from other content marketers?
Who is the audience you’re trying to reach and what are they looking for?
Strategy will help your content get discovered easier, stand out better, and deliver results more efficiently. I’m talking real results – traffic, leads, subscribers, and of course, ROI.
[bctt tweet=”Over 90% of B2B marketers use #contentmarketingstrategy, and over 85% of B2C marketers call it a key strategy. – @JuliaEMcCoy” username=”ExpWriters”]
2. Who Is Your Audience? How Can You Reach Them?
One of the main struggles many content marketers face is something I went through, too. Pumping out blogs every day and sending out emails to everyone on my list – trust me, I’ve been there. It’s a content rat race.
Roughly 60% of people find consistency to be one of the hardest parts of content creation. If you want to see more results from each piece of content you publish, make sure you know your audience.
The key to knowing others is to know yourself.
That isn’t just a philosophical-sounding word salad. It’s the foundation behind building a successful content marketing strategy framework.
How does your current audience view you? Where in the marketing lifecycle do most of your audience members land?
Remember, today’s “buyer journey” looks a lot different than the funnel of yesteryear. You can’t always predict what stage your buyer will be at. Their footsteps could lead backward, forward, up, down, and all around before they make a final decision.
A content marketing strategy is about making sure your content gets to the people who could benefit most from it.
They’re out there. They want to learn your knowledge, buy your products, and become ambassadors of your brand. The seven-figure question is, how do you reach them?
[bctt tweet=”Roughly 60% of people find consistency to be one of the hardest parts of content creation. If you want more out of each piece of content, make sure you know your audience. – @JuliaEMcCoy” username=”ExpWriters”]
3. Understanding SEO: A Cornerstone of Content Marketing and Strategy
Content marketing and content strategy are forever intertwined – and search engine optimization (SEO) plays a major role in both.
From a strategic perspective, knowing what your target audience is inputting into search engines is a great way to help them find your content.
With the right keyword strategy, you can climb search rankings and get more traffic to your content. Good SEO practices involve having the right keywords – plus having them in the right frequency and the right places.
There’s an added benefit to understanding SEO. Not only will your content get more views, it will get quality views.
People won’t just find it by accident and think “what the heck is this?”
They’ll find it and think, “this is just what I was looking for.”
[bctt tweet=”With the right keyword strategy, you can climb search rankings and get more traffic. Good SEO practices involve having the right keywords – in the right frequency and the right place. – @JuliaEMcCoy” username=”ExpWriters”]
4. Build Authority for Your Content, Brand, and Website
The benefit of having good strategy is that people who are looking for your content can find it – and luckily for us content marketers, search engines pick up on that sort of thing.
When your content consistently gets good views, repeated engagement, and positive feedback, it gains authority. What does this mean? Your content will be viewed as more trustworthy, and therefore able to rank higher.
Authority also means search engines could give you priority in some cases – we don’t fully understand the inner-workings of Google, we do know they prioritize older sites with a lot of credible links. The more great content (backed by strategy) you have, the better you’ll do.
I like to explain the concept of building online authority like a content house. The stronger your website is (and remember, you need to build on your house – not someone else’s platform), the better and stronger your presence and house is. With good copy on your site, and a good user experience (speed, design), you create a welcoming house that is warm and vibrant, attracting the right people inside. With consistency of content creation and maintenance, you fix all the issues and maintain a strong house over time.
[bctt tweet=”What you need to build online authority : good copy with credible links, good user experience, consistency of content creation, and maintenance. – @JuliaEMcCoy on her steps to build an effective #contentstrategy” username=”ExpWriters”]
5. Combine Content Marketing Strategy with Content Creation
The entire point of developing a solid strategy is so you can implement it – and you do that by using it as a starting point for the creation process.
A good content marketing strategy and framework is the launchpad for any successful content piece. With the right strategy, you’ll know your audience, your keywords, your differentiating factor, and your overall goal.
Having these things in mind makes it much easier to write great content – it’s exponentially better than sitting down and trying to create a winning piece from a blank slate.
[bctt tweet=”A good content marketing strategy and framework is the launchpad for any successful content piece… you’ll know your audience, your keywords, your differentiating factor, and your overall goal. – @JuliaEMcCoy” username=”ExpWriters”]
6. Keep Your Momentum by Auditing and Promoting Your Content
Once you’ve got the hang of strategy and how to use it in the content creation process, the next step is to stay consistent.
You’ll need to budget your expenses and your time carefully. Make sure you’re auditing your content – is it up to date? Is everything polished, and optimized for success? Content marketing strategy in 2019 may be vastly different than strategy from a few years back – or a few years from now.
Auditing and updating your content makes sure it is fit to be promoted regularly. You’ll be able to advertise it on your social channels, to your email mailing list, and anywhere else you feel will be effective.
[bctt tweet=”If you’ve got the hang of strategy, the next step is to stay consistent. Budget your expenses and time. ⏳ Make sure you’re auditing your content – is it up to date? Is everything polished, and optimized for success? – @JuliaEMcCoy on #contentstrategy” username=”ExpWriters”]
You’ve Got the Basics – Now Master Content Marketing Strategy
A solid content marketing strategy is the foundation of successful content marketing. It’s the same as with anything – faulty foundations cause the most beautiful creations to crumble. Stable bases can be built on and trusted for years to come.
This six-step process to building and implementing a winning content marketing strategy can help anyone.
If you want more on this topic, sign up for my 100% FREE 60-minute content marketing masterclass. There are content strategy examples, guided tutorials, and much more – it’s a resource no marketer should miss.
And of course, if great content is something you need to fuel your content marketing strategy, we do that.Get in touch today!
After a ton of work, it finally went live on Friday, June 28.
This was a project that came after eight years of hard work in content marketing, leading my content agency Express Writers, writing two books, teaching and leading two courses, not to mention writing over a thousand blog posts!
I couldn’t be more thrilled to share this adventure with you.
In today’s video, walk with me down memory lane a minute and listen as I share the full story behind this new brand I’m launching.
[bctt tweet=”.@content_hackers is here! Watch and read the story behind @JuliaEMcCoy’s new brand for growth-focused content marketers ⭐️” username=”ExpWriters”]
The Story Behind The Content Hacker: Video
I remember taking one of my first ever reading comprehension tests, back when I was in homeschooling in the early 2000s.
It felt like so much fun, I thought I was playing a game the whole time.
I earned an A+ on that test. That was when my love for writing stories and narratives begin.
I’ll also never forget when I heard a dialup modem connect us to the internet when I was 7 years old.
[bctt tweet=”I’ll never forget when I heard a dialup modem connect us to the internet when I was 7 years old. @JuliaEMcCoy shares the story behind @content_hackers launch” username=”ExpWriters”]
I watched my mom connect to the internet, and saw her send an email to someone online for the first time. That person emailed her back in minutes. I was blown away at the power of the internet. Ever since then, I’ve pretty much loved the internet. I figured out how to make money online at 12 years old.
Today, finding an avenue to connect “making money online” to “writing content online” simply delights me.
It’s a wonder that I can get online, craft thoughtful words or teach others to, and make more in a month than my parents did in a year back in the ’90s.
Online content has been my favorite realm–a creativity outlet, and a full-time living–ever since I dropped out of college and a nursing degree back in 2011 at 19 years old to seek my passion.
My Competitive Edge in Content: How It Was My Only Financial Means Out of a Cult
Here’s the thing about how I learned to create content.
When I started diving into following my dreams and building my writing agency, Express Writers, at 19 years old, every single dollar I earned had to go towards paying my way. Otherwise, I was broke.
And in 2012, at 20 years old, I used those hard-earned dollars to help get out and escape my dad’s religious cult.
I escaped and finally built the life I always dreamed of by growing my company Express Writers to over $4.5 million in sales in the past 8 years.
(This is a story I’m telling in a book I just finished writing. I can’t wait to share when that comes out. If you follow me on social media, you’ll hear all about it!)
So, there’s no doubt.
I’m a hard-knocks, bottom-line focused, reality-checking content creator.
My success comes from the hard work I put in.
Nothing I do comes from luck.
I have zero time or patience for what doesn’t work, and I’m motivated by results.
[bctt tweet=”I have zero time or patience for what doesn’t work, and I’m motivated by results. @JuliaEMcCoy on @content_hackers launch #story” username=”ExpWriters”]
It helps that I have a passion for what I do. I love the science of the internet, and I love making magic with words.
Where Does ‘Content Hacker’ Come From?
When I first heard the term content hacker, it was from Garrett Moon at CoSchedule. He coined it in 2014, simply defining it as a ‘growth-focused content marketer’ and taking inspiration from Sean Ellis’ term, growth hacking, originally coined in 2010.
I can’t think of a better term than content hacking to describe my day-to-day content lifestyle.
Ever since I began my journey in content creation in 2011, I’ve worked hard to create and execute content in a lean way that directly relates to bottom-line growth.
We have over 16,000 organic keyword positions and a million yearly site visitors at Express Writers. Plus, the clients we’ve written for have also seen incredible success with our content.
But, here’s the thing.
My content wasn’t always successful.
In fact, many of my best life lessons have come from the “Ph.D. in Failure” university. But, as I’ve worked in content for the past eight years, I’ve noticed a truth.
There is a serious lack of true growth-focused content in the enormous efforts and investments by marketers and brands in content marketing today.
Backlinko did a study revealing that 94% of content doesn’t get noticed enough to earn even a single backlink.
I see a ton of same-old, same-old.
I see marketers trying a few tricks here and there, hoping to tape-and-glue it — and content efforts failing, time and time again.
I see content falling flat. Budgets fizzling out. No profits earned.
But here’s the thing.
I believe our broken content marketing is fixable.
Because it is.
Content marketing, done right, is magical.
Seriously.
And that’s why it’s time for Content Hacker.
Elite, proven, working content marketing methodologies are needed — more than ever.
Our standards in marketing, both as practitioners and in the education arena, need to be guided to a new level.
I’m thankful and honored to know more than a few brands, marketers, and agencies that are breaking the mold.
But there are far too many today that still aren’t.
And that’s why Content Hacker™ is here.
What Content Hacker Will Be All About
My new brand serves several purposes.
First, Content Hacker is a resource for elite content marketing education. From our graduates in high school considering a marketing degree, to the marketer, agency, or freelancer that desperately needs this kind of help, to the entrepreneur growing their brand from scratch — this education will be offered to all who need it.
Secondly, Content Hacker is the community I never had when I was a hard-knocks content creator, learning to build strong content the hard way. I want to inspire and bring in others besides myself who will help shine the light on the way forward. And that’s why I’ve invited over 20 leading marketers to be interviewed in a special blog category we’re showcasing, Content Hacker Spotlights, telling the stories of those truly making a difference in marketing. I cannot wait to unveil and share who we have that’s said an emphatic “yes” to these upcoming blog interviews. Prepare to have your mind blown.
Thirdly, Content Hacker is my new “personal brand.” This will be a resource-heavy, inspiration-heavy site, first and foremost: never built to simply spam or sell you. But, alongside a schedule that includes over 50 amazing content pieces launching in the first six months, I’ve put together some great offerings with this brand, bringing you the best of my training, offerings, mentoring, consulting, and books within fingertips’ reach.
Did you get your FREE copy of my launch freebie, The Content Hacker Starter Kit? If not, go grab it on our beautiful new site now (credits to Jill Lynn Design for such an amazing site!).
And, don’t forget to leave me a comment and let me know what you think of the new brand.
You’ve got the fundamentals down and then some. Your grammar is flawless. Your flow is impeccable. Your source formatting is perfect.
Those are all fantastic qualities – but they aren’t all you need to produce outstanding content.
For that, you need something more, or, in some cases, something less.
The key to creating top-notch content your clients and readers will love is to lose the fluff. Replace your empty phrases with power words. Cut out the filler, and make room for more actionable, insightful language.
Trust me, it works. Power words and stronger language tap into our emotions. Harvard research has proven that emotions are a bigger driving factor in our decisions than logical calculations.
A style of writing like this doesn’t just come to us.
It takes research, practice, and dedication. Today we’ll discuss steps on how to improve your writing skills and transform your content.
6 Steps on How to Improve Your Writing Skills
1. Understand the Basics of Good Writing and Why They Matter
2. Take a Closer Look at Your Language
3. Cut and Cull Filler, Fluff, and Fallback Words
4. Use These Exercises to Build Better Habits
5. Proofread with Power Words in Mind
6. Final Checks: See How Your Work Measures Up
[bctt tweet=”The key to creating top-notch content your clients and readers will love is to lose the fluff. Learn transformative #writing skills in this post by @JuliaEMcCoy ” username=”ExpWriters”]
Starting Out: Make Sure You Have the Fundamentals Down
I did mention that good grammar, flow, and citing practices are fundamental to good writing. So before you set out to empower your content with stronger words, make sure you’ve got all the basics taken care of.
This isn’t to say you won’t ever make a typo or fail to link to a source properly – everyone does it. Yet, we need a solid base to work off of.
Think of the blog you’re creating like a house you’re building. Even if you paint and clean the exterior, it won’t cover up for using old materials. Consider it like a piece of music. You can have the best mastering toolkit out there – but a poor mix can only be polished so much.
If you’re wondering how to improve your writing skills and grammar, I recommend a tool like Grammarly. It’s a free add-on for Chrome that’s helped millions of people improve their grammar, and even find better word choices.
I also wrote a book for online content writing beginners back in 2016, the book I wished I’d had when I started out, called So You Think You Can Write? The Definitive Guide to Successful Online Writing. Check it out on Amazon.
For sourcing your work correctly and getting better flow, there’s nothing better than analyzing the experts. I love Jon Morrow from SmartBlogger, and Henneke at Enchanting Marketing. Stay original, but draw inspiration from the content you want to emulate.
Now onto the main part of our guide – how can you take a piece with perfect grammar and great fundamentals and make it even better?
[bctt tweet=”If you’re wondering how to improve your writing skills and grammar, I recommend a tool like Grammarly. – @JuliaEMcCoy” username=”ExpWriters”]
Examine Your Vocabulary and Pick Power Words
Great writing isn’t just about saying something – it’s how you say it that is important. Take the following example – examine the difference between the first and second image.
Those power words trigger something in our psychology. Think about how bad it would feel to miss out on something – or how good it would feel to get a freebie.
Power words can activate positive or negative responses. In either case, they drive some type of reaction. They can take the same message and magnify it, enriching the copy and facilitating a better connection with the reader.
I get this question all the time. How do you know what constitutes a power word? Admittedly, some subjectivity is in play. If you want to get a quick start on empowering your vernacular, check out this resource from my agency containing 120 amazing power words – plus 10 calls-to-action you can use for more results.
The importance of writing skills for content creators doesn’t just mean the ability to crank out thousands of words per day or follow client instructions. It means being able to go above and beyond with language that commands reactions.
Here are some tips for choosing power words:
Be Unique and Ultra-Specific: The more your words stand out, the better. If you can choose a word that describes what you’re talking about in more detail, do it. Remember, being as specific and precise as possible strengthens the overall message of your writing.
Express Urgency and Describe Degrees: As shown in our last example, power words can reinforce the time-sensitivity of a message. You should also look to reinforce the degrees of what you’re talking about. If something is better than good, or worse than bad, pick a word that expresses it.
Always Stay Relevant and Useful: Remember, we aren’t beefing up our vocabulary just for the sake of it. Don’t use elaborate words just to be using them. Make sure your choices reflect the content you’re writing and the mood you’re trying to create. Otherwise, you’re being wordy for the sake of it, which could count as fluff – but more on that later.
[bctt tweet=”‘Choosing power words tips: Be unique, specific, express urgency, and stay relevant’ – @JuliaEMcCoy on improving writing skills” username=”ExpWriters”]
Mood is another thing to keep in mind. There are different power words to use depending on what emotion or vibe you’re trying to cultivate.
Creating a step-by-step guide? Give your readers amazing advice to help them command results and see incredible changes.
You can do this for the entire spectrum of emotions and human urges. Fear, excitement, lust, bravery, and more.
Even with a general idea of power words, you may be curious about how to work them in. The good news is you don’t need to extend your word counts that much. In some cases, you can make room by eliminating weak language.
Learn to Spot Fluff, Then Cut and Cull it Out of Your Writing
Fluff, filler, and fallback words can befall even the best writers out there. We all do it – sometimes it’s just too tempting to get wordy even if the situation doesn’t necessarily call for it.
Again, there is some subjectivity in play when determining exactly what counts as fluff. However, your quest to transform your writing requires you to make this determination and change your approach accordingly.
Fluff could be thought of as “the extra words” which don’t add much to the sentence – if anything. Could the same point be made, as strong (or even stronger) without a word? Then that word is fluff.
Cutting the fluff is key for making room for your power words. It’s also great for keeping your reader interested, making each piece feel unique, and strengthening the message you’re trying to convey. Here’s a quick set of steps to help you find filler and eliminate it – or better yet, avoid falling back on it to begin with.
Start with an Outline: Concise writing, by default, will have less filler. If you’re worried your piece will get fluffy, start with an outline. It will help you stay on track and cover the important points without drifting too far out of focus.
Don’t Get Too Descriptive: Just because you’re being concise doesn’t mean you have to be too detailed unless the subject calls for it. Fluff isn’t just extra words that add no value – it can also be extra details that aren’t necessarily appropriate in the piece you’re writing.
Remove Redundancy: The key to impactful writing with crisp, powerful language is value. Your words should compel, and say a lot with a little. Because of this, there’s no need to use different words to say the same thing over again. You can explain the same thing in multiple ways if doing so strengthens the message, but less is more in most cases.
The process of removing fluff usually comes into play during editing. However, there’s a better way to eliminate fluff – do it as you write.
Of course, this is easier said than done. The best way to train yourself to write powerful content with zero fluff is the same way you train yourself to do anything else – with the right exercises.
Once you get the right techniques and use exercises that can build good habits, it becomes much easier to get inspired toward creating impactful content.
[bctt tweet=”‘Steps to detect fluff: create an outline, avoid getting too descriptive, and avoid redundancy – @JuliaEMcCoy on improving writing skills” username=”ExpWriters”]
Use These 3 Exercises to Improve Writing Skills
When you’re trying to put power words into your writing, you’ll find old habits are hard to break. If you’ve relied on tame terminology and fluff for a while, you’ll also take a while to transform your writing.
The best way to improve your technical, promotional, and creative writing skills is to try these helpful exercises.
1. Find Your Fluff Fallbacks and Cut, Cut, Cut
This writing exercise begins in the editing phase. When you’re learning how to spot fluff, you’ll start by plucking out those unnecessary elements from your writing. Maybe you have a thing for adverbs, or you’re a person who loves their prepositions.
Whatever your fallbacks are, they will usually fall into a few specific categories. Once you find these, challenge yourself to write without them. If you find it too hard to avoid them completely, set a goal such as having no more than 5 cases in the piece you’re working on.
2. The Reverse Word Count Trick
Copywriters are familiar with the concept of minimum word counts.
But what about maximum word counts?
Yes, you may know me as the “long-form queen,” but even I have a maximum.
When you’re writing a sentence, read it back afterward and ask yourself: Could I use fewer words to get my point across? This is the “reverse word count” trick.
You don’t always have to splice every modifier or adjective out for the sake of brevity. However, learning to say more with less can help you avoid filler words and ensure you aren’t adding words in just to reach a total.
[bctt tweet=”When you’re writing a sentence, read it back afterward and ask yourself: Could I use fewer words to get my point across? This is the ‘reverse word count’ trick. – @JuliaEMcCoy on strong #writing ” username=”ExpWriters”]
3. Broaden Your Vocabulary: Use Powerful (But Simple) Language
When we talk about putting power words into our work, complexity immediately comes to mind. But since we’re using them to make a connection with the reader, it is often better if they are simple. Try replacing your generic words with powerful alternatives – but only if you know their meaning. To widen and broaden your vocabulary, use Thesaurus.com. I use it constantly when looking up a more powerful synonym.
This applies especially to industries full of terms that qualify as “jargon.” Don’t write in phrases you have to think too deeply to understand, or you’ll turn off your online readers. If you have to search and contemplate for the meaning of the word, your reader may have to do the same thing. If they are required to keep a dictionary tab open just to get through your piece, they won’t even bother.
Power Writing Requires Power Proofreading
I want to close out by letting you in on a secret about proofreading your work – it’s easier if you use power words.
Why is this?
There’s a secret that seasoned writers and editors know about when it comes to checking your copy. If you read it out loud, you’re less likely to skim over errors. How do power words factor in?
Imagine you’re reading your work aloud in front of a crowd of eager listeners. Is the pressure on yet? Good. The best way to feel confident is to bring a presentation that makes you confident.
Ask yourself – would you feel better reading a generic script full of weasel words? Of course not. You want to have something powerful that attracts attention and keeps your readers hanging on your every word.
When you’re reading your copy back, don’t just make sure it flows well. Ask yourself if there’s any way you could change out words, eliminate some or add others in to strengthen what you’re saying.
[bctt tweet=”When you’re reading your copy back, don’t just make sure it flows well. Ask yourself if there’s any way you could change out words, eliminate some or add others in to strengthen what you’re saying. More on great #writing ✍️” username=”ExpWriters”]
This may not always come into play. However, when you’re doing your proofreading and editing, you’re more likely to find spots to put power words.
[bctt tweet=”‘Looking where to put power words? You can do this through proofreading and editing. – @JuliaEMcCoy on improving writing skills” username=”ExpWriters”]
Compare Your Work to See Where You Stand
Putting power words in the right places is the best way to change your writing from good to great. However, how can you know whether your writing is really more impactful than it used to be?
The key lies in comparing it. When we talk about comparing our writing, we’re usually told to compare it to our favorite writers. We did list that tip earlier, but it isn’t the only type of comparison you should be making.
You can also compare your improved writing to your old writing. It’s a great way to see how much stronger your words sound, and how much of a difference power words really make.
When you’re learning how to improve your writing skills, taking a look back at your older work may even make you twinge a bit. That’s a good thing, though. You’re seeing how far you’ve come and how much progress you’ve made.
Transforming your work with power words requires an understanding of the importance of wording choices. It also means practicing with the right exercises, and even carrying it over into your editing.
Powerful writing with less fluff means more value for your clients and your readers – it’s a win-win.
It’s a case of a phenomenon I’ve mentioned before: the marketer’s equivalent of the Hawthorne Effect, which was a study done in the 1920s that discovered changes to people’s experimental conditions (amount of light, time to work, etc.) led directly to increases in productivity.
Well, interruptions lead to negativity — decreases in productivity, decreases in happiness. And most ads are, in fact, very interruptive. They were built to be.
Today’s modern, savvy consumer doesn’t react well when they know they’re being promoted to, especially when ads are interrupting a current consumption or focus.
Take, for example, clicking a YouTube video. An ad pops up — the viewer may already have their mouse in the lower-right corner, just waiting on “Skip” to appear.
This could be said for all ads. I mean, just look at the ROA (return on advertising). Yikes.
Just a few years ago, you could expect to generate nearly a dozen times your investment on Facebook Ads, whereas that number has plummeted in the present day.
It isn’t just because of the woes of any particular platform. It’s because people are cautious about being promoted to.
So, what’s the secret for getting them to stick around and hear what you have to say?
Well, what about looking at the ads on YouTube that people simply have to stop and watch, and can’t skip? Yes, we can learn a thing or two from those captivating pieces of art. That’s what I’m here today on the Write Blog to explore.
[bctt tweet=”What’s the secret in getting people to stick around and hear what you have to say, in an online world full of millions of other marketers? @YouTube’s skip button has some pretty cool insights. More from @JuliaEMcCoy” username=”ExpWriters”]
The Appeal of Storytelling: What Makes Us Gravitate to it?
There’s something enthralling about a good story. Most people’s first exposure to stories comes when they’re small, hearing about fairytales before bed.
Stories stick with us throughout life, both on the personal level of banter and campfire stories all the way to tales woven into books, TV, and movies.
In a way, our lives are stories. Maybe that’s why we relate to the stories of others so well. Stories and the narratives that come with them are proven to help us construct memories, playing a greater role in our psyche than many realize.
A group of neuroscientists at Princeton University did a study on brain patterns during storytelling. They found the response patterns in the brain were the same for the listeners as they were for the storytellers. Both figuratively and scientifically, stories connect us.
[bctt tweet=”Learn what makes @YouTube audience members forget to hit ‘skip’ on ads. Stories connect us – both figuratively and scientifically! More from @JuliaEMcCoy” username=”ExpWriters”]
It should come as no surprise that storytelling has emerged as a powerful strategy within marketing. Great content connects the creators with the audience and the brand with the customers.
Check out this snippet of a great infographic from OneSpot.
The connection between story-like ads and the tendency of people to avoid the skip button has been explored and reveals insights on what makes an ad good in the mind of a viewer.
3 Lessons on What Makes Ads Watchable and Inviting
[bctt tweet=”3 secrets to grabbing attention, from @YouTube’s Skip button: 1. Personalized content 2. Genuine storytelling 3. Content that feels real ” username=”ExpWriters”]
Telling your viewer a story rather than giving them a pitch is much more likely to make them stick around. Here are three examples of how it’s worked in the past, and how you can do it in your own ads.
1. Personalized Ads Help Bridge Taboo Topics
Abreva had a tough task ahead of them when they marketed a solution to cold sores. While this is a problem many people suffer from, it isn’t one a lot of people like to talk about. Turning to YouTube and building over 100 personal ads, Abreva sent simple, six-second pre-rolls to users based on relevancy.
Search interest boomed over 300%. Users who were searching celebrity gossip would get ads about how they couldn’t control the latest breakup but could stop cold sores. Users who searched up beauty tutorials would get ads on how they could keep pouty lips but lose cold sores.
Personalized ads blend in – making them feel less promotional and more relatable. They also effectively bypass any defensive tendencies the viewer may have as a result.
2. Genuine Storytelling Grabs a Viewer’s Attention
The volume of ads, and content, in general, is growing rapidly. With so many options to choose from, users are extremely selective. They’ll move on fast from video or an ad if it isn’t connecting with them from the beginning.
Nearly two-thirds of people skip ads when given the chance, with nearly three-quarters of people admitting they do it out of habit. In a 15-second ad, you have a little over five seconds before the skip option pops up. In a 30-second ad, you have a little over seven seconds.
Why do they do it? More often than not, it’s because they just want to get to the video.
So how do you stop them from skipping? Give them something just as interesting to watch. Your content becomes less like a barrier blocking them and more like a content appetizer before the main course.
If you hear a good opening line in a book, a movie trailer, or a TV pitch, you may stick around. What’s this story about?
The same thing can be done with an ad. To stop viewers from impulse skipping, you should start your story off from the beginning and build on it.
3. Content That Feels Real Gets Watched
Going back to how people will automatically put up their guard if they feel a promotion coming on, real content is the way to go. What qualifies as real? If something is real, it has a genuine feel to it. It’s full of facts and insight, rather than products and offers.
This can also tie in with personalization and storytelling. Imagine crafting an ad and sending it to someone who is passionate about the subject, all while telling them a relatable tale they can put themselves into. That’s a recipe for views.
Think of those ads with a guy recording himself with his phone, telling you about his business idea. It has the risk of appearing pitchy, but it’s genuine enough that viewers may just want to stick around.
Stories with realism and relatability click with us. They’re far more personal and impactful than a generic advertisement thrown at whoever will watch, no matter how polished it is. They’re also more effective for advertisers. Why send the same ad out and simply take a chance on people watching it?
Personal campaigns with appealing stories are far more likely to keep people engaged.
[bctt tweet=”‘Stories with realism and relatability click with us. They’re far more personal and impactful than a generic advertisement thrown at whoever will watch, no matter how polished it is.’ – @JuliaEMcCoy on the 3 lessons on watchable ads” username=”ExpWriters”]
The same could be said about good advertisements. Whether a YouTube pre-roll or a webpage dropdown ad, the same principals apply.
You don’t want your ad jumping in front of someone on their way to watch something else, only to try and ask them for sale – even in not so many words.
Instead, you want your ad to come off more like a personal tale. A story that resonates with the viewer, connects with them and makes them feel like they’re being treated to something rather than forced to tolerate it for a few seconds.
The results will speak for themselves, and they already do. Authentic stories and personalized content build the connection you need with your viewer and can stop them from skipping you before hearing what you have to say.
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