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#ContentWritingChat Recap: Content Marketing Trends for 2017 with Dennis Shiao

#ContentWritingChat Recap: Content Marketing Trends for 2017 with Dennis Shiao

by | Sep 1, 2017 | ContentWritingChat

Are you up-to-date on all the latest content marketing trends? In this week’s #ContentWritingChat, we shared all the hottest tips and trends you need to know for a successful content marketing strategy.

Does that sound like just what your brand needs right now? Keep reading for the recap of our latest chat! It’s filled with some amazing advice that you’ll want to implement ASAP!

#ContentWritingChat Recap: Content Marketing Trends for 2017 with Dennis Shiao


Our guest host this week was Dennis Shiao. Dennis handles content marketing at DNN Software. He shared some great tips with us throughout the chat, which you won’t want to miss! Let’s dive into the recap for everything you need to know on content marketing trends for 2017.

Q1: Why is it important to keep an eye on content marketing trends? How can it impact us as creators?

Not feeling convinced that you should be keeping up with the latest when it comes to content marketing trends? These tweets will show you why it’s important for all content creators:

Keeping an eye on the trends will help you plan your strategy. As Dennis mentioned, sometimes you ride the trend and sometimes you go the other way. When you understand the current content marketing trends, it can even give you ideas on how to start a new one.

His general advice is not to follow just just follow them. Dennis feels there’s value in being different, so make sure you embrace that.

Julia knows that knowing the latest trends is essential for content creators. You want to stay updated on the platforms, tools, and SEO to better serve your clients.

Content marketing is something that is constantly evolving and you need to keep up to appeal to your audience.

Being aware of trends also helps keep your content fresh and relevant.

As Lexie said, knowing the trends shows your clients that you stay on top of all the latest information. It’s going to help them see that you really know your stuff!

Maureen brought up a great point about testing. When you monitor and try out new trends, you can test to see how it works for you. You’ll know what’s the right fit for your brand and your audience.

As Ray said, part of reflecting and planning your future growth is looking at the past and present when it comes to content marketing. It’s important to reflect to see where things have been, where they’re going, and how you can adapt.

Q2: What have been the top content marketing trends to implement into your strategy so far this year?

Have there been any game-changing trends you implemented into your strategy this year? Our chat participants shared a few that were essential for them to incorporate:

For Dennis, he knows that high-quality content is a clear winner. He’s been focusing on publishing less, but striving to produce even better content.

The team at Netvantage is doing the same. Quality always beats quantity when it comes to the content you’re producing.

When you’re creating content, you also need to deliver what your audience wants. Bill is committed to focusing on his existing customers and learning what they need, instead of guessing on what he should be creating.

Kristen knows that recycling content is a big trend that is really paying off these days. It helps you make the most of what you’ve published in the past. She also said testing new content formats, such as podcasts, is also beneficial.

Even Dennis knows podcasting is a trend that’s still on the rise! Although he hasn’t started one of his own yet, he does listen to a lot.

For Shelly, it’s all about making sure the content she produces leads back to her bigger business objectives.

People are certainly getting more visual with their content this year, which is something that won’t be going away any time soon. Whether it’s graphics or video content, people are loving great visuals.

Interactive content is certainly a great way to engage your audience and get them to take action.

Q3: Many marketers have stepped up content production. What are your tips for managing the content planning and creation process?

With more people taking their content seriously, it can sometimes get tricky managing the content planning and creation process. If you need some help in this area, check out this advice:

Dennis knows the importance of having clear processes and software to help teams, both big and small. He also mentioned how crucial it is to have a great plan in place. It’s definitely going to help you stay on track in the long run.

Julia also recognizes the importance of great team members, as she’s managing a remote team that’s all across the world. When you have an amazing team behind you, you can really see major growth when it comes to your content.

Maureen suggests having a calendar coordinator or a content manager to help bring everything together. Having someone dedicated to this role will help everyone stay on track and meet deadlines.

However, you aren’t doomed if you don’t have a team behind you. As Brittany mentioned, there are plenty of experts out there that can provide information that’ll help you out.

Kristen encourages you to map your content back to your goals. She suggests planning quarterly goals and/or themes to guide your content.

And editorial calendar is certainly helpful when it comes to the planning process. You need to determine how often you want to publish and what topics you’ll be focusing on.

Megan is also a big fan of having an editorial calendar in place.

As Lori mentioned, it’s great to have a plan, but you also need to be flexible. Be open to making last minute changes to create content for the topics that are relevant in the moment.

Natasha outlined some key steps that are essential to success! It all goes back to listening to your audience and understanding their needs.

For Bryn, repurposing content is a must. It’s going to help you make the most of the older content you’ve already published. All you have to do is find ways to make it fresh again. She teams up with other departments to make this happen.

Q4: What should a content marketer do when they just aren’t seeing the results they hoped for?

If you aren’t seeing the results you hoped for, it’s important that you don’t just give up and quit. You need to figure out how to fix the situation. Here’s some great advice for you:

First, Dennis said you need to resist the urge to give up. As he pointed out, content marketing is a long-term endeavor. You have to hang in there and keep moving forward, despite any failures you may encounter. He suggests taking some time to reflect because you’ll return feeling refreshed and with new ideas.

Dennis also said to consider your distribution efforts. Could that be where you’re going wrong? You can’t just expect people to find your content. You have to be proactive about spreading the word. He also recommends talking to your readers, customers, and industry experts to receive feedback on the work you’ve done.

Lexie also agrees that seeking feedback is a good idea. It’s going to help you deliver the content your audience truly wants.

Varun’s advice is to stop, analyze, and restart. You can take inspiration from your niche and other industries, plus take feedback from your audience into consideration.

Lex said you need to ask yourself if you’re monitoring the right goals with the best metrics. You also need to know why those are your goals so you know that you’re working towards.

It’s also a smart idea to look at what IS working for you so you can focus on those platforms/formats/etc.

Going back to the advice Dennis shared, Danielle also recommends focusing on distribution. Find new ways to spread the word about your content so more people will check it out.

For Kristen, she’s found sharing her content via email has always been effective.

No matter what, you have to keep plugging away. You’ll see results in time if you don’t give up.

And finally, don’ forget to be patient!

Q5: How have you seen content marketing change in the past few years?

Wondering how the content marketing world has changed in recent times? Take a look at these responses from the chat:

As Dennis pointed out, there’s all kinds of content floating around these days. It’s not just about blogging because others are turning to live video, podcasting, and so many other formats.

The expectations of your readers have also never been higher. You have to make sure you’re delivering something that’s worth their time.

There’s no denying that we have to work harder to get our content noticed these days.

To stand out, Debi suggests focusing on expertise, authority, and trustworthiness in the content you publish.

Video continues to grow in popularity as the years go on. It’s something that won’t be going anywhere, whether it’s on Instagram, Facebook, or YouTube.

Max also agrees that video has taken off in recent years, especially on social media. You want to have a winning strategy for creating and promoting the video content you produce.

Content creators are expected to do so much these days. They have to be skilled not just with writing, but also with SEO, marketing, social media, and video among other things.

For Ray, he’s seen more small businesses take content marketing seriously. He says it’s made it easier to educate them on it.

Q6: Where do you see content marketing going in the next year or two?

Do you have any predictions on the future of content marketing? Here’s what some of our chat participants had to say:

Dennis sees content moving to non-traditional platforms, such as smart watches. As he mentioned, your content needs to appear when and where your audience needs it.

Kristen predicts advanced personalization that provides a customer-centric approach will be the future of content marketing trends.

Bill predicts that people are going to focus more on their owned channels and use others to drive traffic back to their home base.

Lexie definitely sees video continuing to skyrocket. She thinks live videos that include customers or brand advocates will be the big thing.

As for Jeff, he predicts artificial intelligence will be used to deliver the right content to the exact target audience.

Virtual reality could also play a huge role in content marketing, as more companies are adopting it.

Julia sees even more brands appreciated the growth that content marketing can bring.

Q7: What are your favorite tools for managing your content marketing strategy?

Are you looking for some good tools to manage your content marketing strategy? Check these out:

Dennis relies on Google Analytics and Excel to manage his content marketing strategy. He also likes to get on the phone and chat with customers. It’s a great way to learn more about them.

Evernote is a fantastic tool for storing content ideas and keeping them organized.

Like me, Brittany is also an Evernote fan. She also likes to use Excel for creating an editorial calendar.

Julia relies on SEMrush for ranking and SEO tracking, Mangools for keyword discovery, and BuzzSumo for finding hot topics.

From Google Docs to Evernote and others, Ray has a plethora of tools he likes to use for content marketing. They’re all worth checking out!

BuzzSumo is a go-to for Shelly.

Keiana likes to use Google Analytics and Hootsuite.

For email marketing, Max sticks to MailChimp for sending content to his subscribers. He also likes that their analytics are easy to understand.

Jenn’s list of tools includes: Google Analytics, Moz, Asana, and Curata.

Q8: Do you have any top resources for learning the latest in content marketing trends?

If you want to learn more about the hottest content marketing trends, where should you go? Check out these amazing resources:

Dennis likes to read posts from Content Marketing Institute, Contently, and Orbiteers. He even mentioned Express Writers!

Social Media Today, Social Media Examiner, and the Jeff Bullas blog are all great sources.

Lexie is spot-on with this answer! We can learn so much from the Twitter chats we join.

For Jenn, she’s learned a lot from our own #ContentWritingChat and Content Marketing Institute’s #CMWorld.

As Zachary said, it’s not just about sharing your answers. You can also take in the responses people share and learn from them.

Cristy likes to use Digg to find new blogs and publications to check out.

Another great way to find new resources is to search Feedly or podcasts for information on content marketing.

Ready to join the fun? Follow @ExpWriters and @writingchat on Twitter and join #ContentWritingChat every Tuesday at 10 AM Central!

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#ContentWritingChat Recap: "Back to School" with Your Site Presence & SEO: 101 Refresher

#ContentWritingChat Recap: "Back to School" with Your Site Presence & SEO: 101 Refresher

by | Aug 25, 2017 | ContentWritingChat

This time of year, a lot of people are heading back to school. They’re stocking up on supplies, getting textbooks, and preparing for another semester of classes. However, even if you’re not heading back to school, it doesn’t mean you can’t do a little learning!
For this week’s #ContentWritingChat, we decided to go “back to school” by talking about the basics of building your site presence and mastering SEO. This was another one of our community chats, where our participants are the stars of the show. And they certainly had some great advice to share!

#ContentWritingChat Recap: “Back to School” with Your Site Presence & SEO: 101 Refresher


If you’re ready for a refresher course on site presence and SEO, you’re in the right place! Grab a pen and paper to take some notes and let’s dive right in!

Q1: Explain the importance of SEO and how it integrates into your online marketing.

To kick off the chat, we asked everyone to share why they feel SEO is important. What did they have to say about it? Here are a few responses from the chat:


As Jason said, SEO helps people find and see you online. The keywords you target in your content are just one of the ways you can boost your visibility in search rankings.


Lexie mentioned that SEO is a huge part of everything they do over at Netvantage Marketing. They conduct keyword research before creating anything. Then, that keyword is used in the page title, body copy, etc.


When done right, SEO helps your brand become searchable and more visible on search engines. This is why you want to conduct keyword research and choose the right keywords for each piece of content you publish.


As Elizabeth pointed out, Google can’t send people to your site if they don’t know you exist.


Brittany made a great point! You can’t build something and expect it to be successful. You can’t just publish a piece of content and expect people to find it. You have to put in the effort to optimize your content for search engines like Google.

Q2: What are the basic SEO steps every blogger needs to take when publishing new content?

To get started with SEO, we need to have the basics covered. So, which steps should you always keep in mind when you’re publishing a new piece of content? Here’s some advice:


As Julia said, it starts with knowing your audience. Without knowing your audience and understanding their needs, you can’t create content they’re interested in. You’ll want to follow that up with keyword research to choose the right long-tail keywords for your content.


Lexie also knows that keyword research is an essential beginning. The keyword you choose for a piece of content will be used in the page title, meta description, and throughout the body copy. However, as she pointed out, you should always incorporate the keyword in a way that’s natural.


Choosing the right keywords goes back to paying attention to your audience. Your content should address their pain points and the questions they’re asking.


Brittany said you want to go for the keywords people are searching for. The right keywords are going to help you rank higher in search results.


Tony shared a helpful infographic with some tips that are important to keep in mind!

Q3: How can you make sure you’re speaking to the right audience in your search optimized content?

Another priority is to make sure you’re reaching the right audience with the content you’re publishing on your website. After all, you don’t want to risk attracting all the wrong people to your site. Here’s how to make sure you reach the right people:


Audience and keyword research is essential here. As Jason said, you need to know who you want to reach and then research the terms and phrases they’re searching. This will help you write the content that targets your ideal audience.


Having a reader persona is essential. You want to know who you’re trying to reach and create content that answers their questions and addresses pain points.


As Julia mentioned, Google looks at content like a human does. You’ll want to write with your human reader in mind if you want to succeed.


Lexie said you should communicate with your audience, not at them.


Jenn is a fan of actually talking to her audience. You can strike up a conversation with your ideal readers to really get to know them and their needs.


A little research is going to teach you everything you need to know about your audience!

Q4: Name a few top mistakes you see repeatedly in SEO content.

There are quite a few mistakes that people frequently make in their SEO content. And if you don’t know what they are, you won’t be able to avoid them! These are things you’ll want to avoid on your own website:


As Lexie pointed out, keyword stuffing is still an issue today. She also mentioned it’s a mistake to not use your keywords in headings.


Mallie also feels keyword stuffing is huge NO.


Andrew feels using visible clusters of keywords can actually cheapen your content. You don’t want to go overboard when incorporating keywords into your content. It needs to be done naturally.


Choosing the wrong keywords is also a big mistake. If you aren’t targeting the correct keywords, you won’t successfully reach your audience.


One thing that a lot of people still forget about is their meta description. Don’t forget to take an extra few seconds to type up a meta description for your blog posts.


Mistakes Zala has noticed are not optimizing for the right keywords and local search, poorly written content, and failing to check analytics to see what actually converts.


One huge mistake that Julia sees is people putting out crappy, worthless content. That’s not serving a purpose for anyone. You need to focus on adding value with everything you publish.

Q5: Are there any tools you rely on when it comes to creating SEO content?

There are plenty of tools out there that can help you with SEO, but how do you know which ones you should use? Here’s a list of suggestions:


Jenn is a big fan of Moz.


Lexie turns to a variety of tools, including SEMrush and Answer the Public.


For Mallie, the Yoast plugin for WordPress is a must!


Sabjan is also a fan of Yoast.


Julia shared a list of her favorites with us, which includes BuzzSumo and Quora. Both can be used to find out what your audience is talking about.


CoSchedule’s Headline Analyzer can help you craft amazing, clickable headlines for your content.


For Cheval, Twitter chats are a go-to. You can learn a lot from others through chats.


Don’t forget that you should never stop learning. Jade reads various blogs and watches what some of the experts in the field do.

Q6: How can you tell if you’re achieving your desired SEO goals?

So, how do you know if you’re actually achieving the goals you set out to reach? Here’s what you need to know:


Andrew knows the first step is actually setting quantifiable, trackable goals. Without clear goals in mind, you won’t know what you’re working towards.


Jenn suggests watching how your rankings change. Is your domain authority changing? How many backlinks are you generating? These are all factors you may want to watch.


Marijana recommends using Google Analytics and Moz. You can track any changes, as well as the terms you’re ranking for.


Another thing to keep an eye on is how people are finding your site. What keywords are they searching to discover your content? This is important information to keep in mind.

Q7: What steps will you take to give your site a refresher in the months ahead?

Now that we’ve talked about giving your site a refresher and SEO basics, we wanted to know how our chat participants could improve their own sites. Here’s what they had to say:


Brittany is working on a content audit, as well as reviewing her content strategy. She’s even taking Julia’s course!


Even Julia is updating older posts from the Express Writers archives!


Jennifer is currently working on updating her older posts for SEO.


Mallie plans to update her blog post images with alt text.


Read, discover, and learn. Remember that you should always learn and find ways to improve your skills.

Q8: What are your favorite resources for learning more about SEO and growing your website? Tag them!

These resources are a must for our community! Check them out:


Neil Patel, Moz, Search Engine Journal, SEMrush, and HubSpot are bookmark-worthy resources! They’re great for learning about your site presence & SEO.


Julia shared a great list of suggestions, including Content Marketing Institute and Kissmetrics.


These are resources that are worth checking out!


Mallie is also a big fan of Moz’s content!
Join us for #ContentWritingChat every Tuesday from 10-11 AM Central Time! Follow @ExpWriters and @writingchat so you don’t miss anything!
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#ContentWritingChat Recap: How to Create Authority Content for Serious Return in Your Blogging with Julia McCoy

#ContentWritingChat Recap: How to Create Authority Content for Serious Return in Your Blogging with Julia McCoy

by | Aug 18, 2017 | ContentWritingChat

Are you wondering how to create authority content for your blog to see major results online? This week’s #ContentWritingChat is especially for you! Our chat participants shared some amazing advice that will have you creating high-quality content in no time at all.

#ContentWritingChat Recap: How to Create Authority Content for Serious Return in Your Blogging with Julia McCoy

Our CEO, Julia McCoy, joined in as a guest host for this week’s chat. Considering she provides valuable content on our own blog and for other websites, she’s a great person to teach all of us how to create authority content. Now, let’s dive into the recap!

Q1: 2 million blogs go out daily. How can you create content that positions you as an authority in your field online?

There are obviously a lot of blog posts being published on a daily basis. This makes it hard to stand out online, but it can be done if you position yourself as an authority. How do you do that? Check out this advice from the chat:

Julia’s advice is to have something to say that actually matters. She says you need to know your audience, write to be read, and be consistent by always showing up.

Lexie’s advice is to make sure you know your audience so you can truly connect with them. This is going to help you build trust, therefore establishing you as an authority with your targeted audience members.

When you provide practical, actionable advice that addresses the needs of your audience, they’ll appreciate you for it. When they see that you can solve their problems, it starts to build your authority and keeps them coming back for more.

Don’t forget that you need to use data and cite sources to back up the points you make. You don’t want anyone questioning whether or not your content is reliable.

Focus on YOU. You should always strive to do your best when you create authority content.

If you want to be an authority, you have to earn it. Kristen said you need to be dedicated to your audience and to quality writing.

Q2: Discuss how to find and reach your audience personally to create authoritative content at is of specific value to them.

Are you wondering how to find and reach your audience when creating content online? Here’s what you need to know:

Julia shared some great tips for getting to know your audience. She suggested researching your market with Facebook Audience Insights and Google surveys. For your existing audience, you can email your list a survey that asks questions you want answers to. Then, hop on the phone with a few clients and have a chat.

Social listening is a great way to essentially eavesdrop on your audience. Figure out which platforms they spend the most time on and locate them. Pay attention to what they’re posting and talking about.

A great way to perform social listening is through Twitter chats. Cheval knows how beneficial they are when it comes to finding your target audience.

Javier suggests checking out some online forums and chats where your audience is hanging out. Be present on those platforms by engaging with your audience. Figure out what they’re struggling with and you can create content that solves their problems.

Facebook Groups are a great place to hang out! You just need to find the ones your audience spends their time in. Then, pay attention to what they’re saying!

As Seth pointed out, we can also learn a lot about our audience from the data we’ve already obtained. Check out your Google Analytics to learn more about who your audience is and what they’re interested in, for example.

Q3: What is one of the top authority content formats that earns SEO rankings, authority, speaking gigs, and organic leads?

What’s the winning content format that can do all of those things for your online presence? Here’s what some participants from our chat had to say:

For Julia, she’s all about the power of blogging. She knows the benefit that high-quality, written content can have.

Lauren feels that when you create authority content, any format can work. It’s more about providing good, unique information for your audience to consume.

As Lex said, it can also depend on your industry and your audience. You have to figure out what works best for your target audience, but also what works well for you in terms of creation.

Shelly knows that case studies can get major results when shared online.

Beth recommends writing blog posts that are at least 2,000 words to boost SEO. To build authority and speaking, she suggests trying podcasts or video. And for organic leads, valuable downloads are a great opportunity.

Q4: If you outsource content that positions you or a client as an authority, how can you make sure the writer is at that level?

If you’re going to outsource your content creation, you’ll want to make sure you choose a great writer. You want someone with experience and skills so you’ll be confident they can get the job done. Here’s some advice when it comes to outsourcing your writing:

Julia’s advice is to hire a writer that has industry knowledge in your field and amazing online writing skills. Once you do hire someone, she suggests that you continue to work with them closely. Reward your writers and help them grow to encourage progress.

As Jack said, hiring a first timer might be cheaper, but it’s also risky. You don’t want to waste your money on works that’s below your standards or littered with errors. You’re better off vetting writers to find the right fit.

Sarah agrees that a vetting process is essential. She suggests checking a lot of their past work to ensure they have the skills you need.

As Carla pointed out, getting references is always a great idea. See if there are any other bloggers or industry professionals that can recommend someone. It’s always great when someone can vouch for their work.

Ken suggests getting samples from the writer that showcases their knowledge in your field. Closely review the first bits of work they submit to you.

Lexie agrees that asking for samples is a must. As she said, you wouldn’t want to hire someone without seeing their work first.

Q5: What are some do’s in creating authority content?

If you want to create authority content for your blog, there are a few things you absolutely must do! Want to find out what they are? Check out this advice from the chat:

Julia said you need to know your audience, first and foremost. She also said it’s important to develop brand style guidelines for a consistent voice. You can even hire great writers and editors to help you out.

Sarah’s advice is to know your audience and create helpful, relevant content in a format they love.

Make sure you’re doing your research and answering the questions your audience has. Your content should serve a purpose.

You want to make sure your content solves a problem your reader is facing and present the information in a way that’s easy for them to understand.

Sabjan said to understand your audience and provide what they want.

Include research, interviews, statistics, images, and video content. As Stephanie said, you should never beef up your article with fluff.

As Jim said, you need to make sure your facts are right. There’s nothing worse than publishing an article with the wrong information.

Beth’s advice is to try to be original in your style and point of view. This will help draw people in and help them connect with you. You want to share your own experiences as well, as it helps tells your story.

Q6: How can you create awesome visuals to accompany authoritative content?

We can’t forget that our written content needs great visuals as well. How do you create ones that stand out? Here’s some advice:

As Julia said, our team develops short infographics for authority blogs. We also have our designer create visuals sized for every main social media platform. Each graphic is branding in our color scheme.

Jennifer, like many others, is a big fan of Canva. They’ve made it easy to create professional-looking graphics.

Another Canva fan! For those who are searching for stock photos, Death to Stock is a great one to check out.

Maria suggests following a color scheme for the images you create. This helps them stand out as being unique to your brand. You also want to use high-quality images. You can even edit stock images to help your graphics stand out online.

If you’re not great with design, there’s no shame in hiring a designer. Adam said it’s helped him seeing better results online.

Q7: What are some processes to fine tune, perfect, and publish a killer piece of authoritative content?

What do you need to do in order to create authority content for your blog? Here’s what you need to know:

Julia suggests having a workflow with stages developed and support members in place. She also said you should take your time at each stage, instead of rushing it.

Some key stages in order to create authority content include: researching trends and keywords, brain dump, outline, write, edit, design graphics, and prepare to publish.

Sarah said you should write, revise, and edit. She said to step away from the content for at least 24 hours before proofreading or have someone else do it.

Danielle agrees with leaving time in between a final edit. It allows you to see your work with a fresher perspective.

Remember that first drafts are rarely read to publish, which is totally okay. That’s why you need to make time for editing. Cristy said having someone else take over the editing process is helpful. They’ll catch mistakes you missed.

You want to define the point of your post, outline top talking points, and make sure the tone matches your target audience. Those are all essential steps for a great post.

Lindsey suggests creating a checklist in a tool like Trello to keep you on track. You can outline what you need to do before, during, and after when creating content.

Q8: Which brands or marketers stand out as an authority online through the content they create? Tag them!

Which brands or marketers can you learn from? Check out these great content creators:

You’ll want to add Julia’s favorites to your reading list!

Are you following any of these content creators?

Knowing your audience, sharing great visuals, and storytelling are all essential. Cristy feels these brands do a great job at that.

Content Marketing Institute always does a great job!

Lexie shared some great resources as well! Search Engine Journal, SEMrush, Sprout Social, Content Marketing Institute, and even the Express Writers blog are great places for high-quality content.

Want to join the next chat? Follow @ExpWriters and @writingchat, then join us every Tuesday at 10 AM Central Time!

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#ContentWritingChat Recap: Writing Tips for Freelancers

#ContentWritingChat Recap: Writing Tips for Freelancers

by | Aug 11, 2017 | ContentWritingChat

This week, we had our second community edition of #ContentWritingChat! In case you aren’t familiar, that basically means we allowed our participants to be the guest hosts for the hour. After all, they’re a pretty smart bunch with some amazing advice to share! Our latest chat on Writing Tips for Freelancers was no exception!

#ContentWritingChat Recap: Writing Tips for Freelancers

We asked our audience to vote on the topic for this week’s chat and Writing Tips for Freelancers won by just a few votes! Considering we have so many writers in our community, it’s no wonder this topic was chosen. Everyone who participated shared some helpful tips, which we’re sharing in this recap! Let’s dive in!

Q1: What are the first steps to creating high-quality content?

To kick things off, we asked everyone to share the first steps they take when it comes to creating high-quality content. Here’s what a few of them had to say:

Sarah has three steps she follows when it comes to content creation. Knowing your audience is the first step. Then, you plan it out by determining what, when, and where. And finally, it’s time to execute by writing and publishing your content.

Maureen knows it’s so important to understand your target market when creating content. You also need to have top-notch writers and designers that understand your brand. These are all essential elements to creating amazing content!

As mentioned, it’s crucial to know who your audience is and what they want. You should always create content with them in mind.

Not only do you want to know what your audience is interested in, but you should also determine how they prefer to receive content. What format resonates with them the most?

Susan offered some great advice for this question. She suggests conducting research to see what’s already been written and figure out what the gaps are. What can be added to the conversation that you are capable of writing?

As Sarah mentioned, it’s important to know your purpose. Why are you producing this piece of content? What is your end goal? When you’re creating, keep that purpose in mind.

Kristin suggests knowing your audience, what you want to say, how you want readers to feels and what you want them to do next.

For Lex, she starts with conducting SEO keyword and user intent research. This helps her figure out what her audience wants so she can create content for them.

Q2: How do you know when a piece is good enough to be published?

Too many people hold themselves back from hitting publish on a piece because they worry it’s not “good enough.” So, how exactly do you know when a piece is ready to go live? Here’s some advice:

Sarah said a piece of content is good enough to publish when it fulfills the goals you set out to achieve. Consider your purpose, the questions you’ve answered, your tone, etc.

Zala said to make sure your content: addresses the needs of your audience, is structured and well-researched, is optimized with the right keyword, and has a clear call to action.

For Danielle, she feels a post is ready to go after someone else has proofread it and made edits. If you don’t have someone to edit for you, wait a day after writing before editing it yourself. This allows you to review the content with fresh eyes.

Bruce also suggests having a second and third pair of eyes looking over your content if possible.

For some, you might have a team that a piece of content needs to go through prior to publication. If you do, make sure you’re respectful and take their feedback into consideration.

When you’re proud of the work you’ve created it, hit publish! Don’t stand in your own way.

Khulekani agrees. If you’ve impressed yourself with the work you’ve done and you love it, it’s good to go.

Q3: How much does spelling and grammar matter when writing? Any editing tips you can share?

Will those spelling and grammatical errors really turn off your audience? Find out what our chat participants had to say! Plus, you’ll want to implement the editing tips they chimed in with.

If your work hasn’t been edited and is littered with typos, it shows a lack of care. Try walking away from what you’ve written for at least one hour. Then, come back and proofread it with fresh eyes and a clear mind. You’ll be more likely to spot mistakes.

When you take the time to edit, it shows you pay attention to detail and that you truly care about the work you create.

Do you want your work to be taken seriously? Taylor says you better edit your content and use correct spelling and grammar!

Proper grammar is the soul of the language!

Jason feels correct spelling and grammar keep the integrity of the article. He won’t read something that has mistakes.

Both Leah and Megan won’t bother reading articles that are filled with mistakes. It’s worthwhile to take the time to proofread a couple of times before hitting publish. Don’t turn your readers off.

Khulekani relies on Grammarly to double-check for any errors in writing.

The Hemingway application is Danielle’s go-to tool!

We have another Grammarly fan! Not only is it great for spotting mistakes, but it’ll help enhance readability. Another suggestion is to have a friend or editor proofread for you.

Q4: What’s your biggest pet peeve when reading articles? What should freelancers avoid doing?

When discussing writing tips for freelancers, there’s no doubt that a few pet peeves are going to come up. We asked everyone to share their biggest pet peeves when reading articles so other freelancers can avoid the same mistakes. Check out these responses:

Content that isn’t original will get you nowhere! You need to make your content unique if you want to stand out online.

Grammar mistakes and bad writing are just two things that irritate Sarah when it comes to writing.

For Carla, she hates when people go off topic.

A lack of fact checking and clarity can certainly spell disaster for your article.

Research is a must! Present facts and back them up with reliable sources.

Jason doesn’t like posts that are too long. He also suggests making sure key points are bulleted or bolded. You also want to quote sources and provide visuals. These are all essential writing tips for freelancers to use in their career.

No fact checking. No uniqueness in voice or content. No focus on detail. Natasha knows that all three of these things are mistakes you don’t want to make.

Clickbait titles are definitely a NO. They’re misleading and will quickly turn your readers off.

Q5: How can style and brand guidelines help freelancers become better writers?

When you’re a freelancer, you’re going to be writing for a variety of companies. How can style and brand guidelines help in this situation? Here’s some advice from our chat:

Maureen feels guidelines help establish standards and set expectations. It’s going to help produce consistent content in the long run.

As Leah said, style guidelines help you capture the brand’s voice. After all, they want to make sure the writers they hire are consistently on-brand.

For the company that’s hiring the writer, they’ll want guidelines in place to set expectations.

Clear guidelines are going to ensure both the brand and the writer are happy with the end result. It states what the brand wants so the writer can deliver.

Bruce feels that having structure can actually force you to be more creative in your writing.

Shannon said writers should think of guidelines as a challenge to meet and surpass, as opposed to viewing them as a burden.

Q6: Can you truly become a better writer? If so, what do you need to do?

Is it possible to become a better writer or is it just something you’re born with? If everyone can strengthen their skills, what should we all keep in mind? These writing tips for freelancers are important to consider:

If you want to become a better writer, you have to write more often. It also helps to get feedback by having others review your work.

Practice every day if possible! It doesn’t matter if no one will see what you write. Choose a topic and just get started.

Cheval also agrees that consistency is key here. If you want to strengthen your writing skills, you need to write regularly.

Missy knows you don’t become great at what you do that easily. It’s going to take time and effort.

Think of it like a muscle that you have to train. The more you practice writing, the better your skills become.

Don’t forget to learn from the mistakes you’ve made in the past so you don’t continue making them.

Danielle suggests seeking feedback from trusted editors. They’ll tell you where you can improve.

As Lauren said, you also need to be open to feedback. Listen to what others have to say and take it into consideration as you write.

Shelly’s advice is to spend time reading like a writer/editor.

You can even take classes or join a writing group if you’d like!

Maria said it’s important write, read, educate yourself, and stay curious to improve writing skills.

Q7: Which tools do you rely on for writing and managing your work?

There are plenty of tools that can make it easier for managing writing tasks, so why not use them? Take a look at these recommendations from the chat:

Lexie said the Netvantage team relies on Google Drive for their calendar and storing content ideas. They also use Yoast for SEO purposes, which is a handy WordPress plugin.

The go-to tools for the ThinkSEM team include: WordPress, Google Docs and Sheets, the Hemingway App, the web, their brains, and plenty of time.

Jasmine relies on Asana to manage her freelance writing tasks.

Hubspot, Buzzsumo, Grammarly, Google Analytics, and Buffer are all essential tools for Sabjan.

Sarah mostly relies on HubSpot, but she also uses Evernote for storing ideas. She also turns to Grammarly during the writing process and the Hemingway app afterwards.

John is also a fan of Grammarly.

Brain, creativity, pen, and paper are all essential tools for the freelance writer.

As for Jeff, you can find him speaking to the Notes app on his phone. Sometimes this is just the best and easiest way to record all those ideas!

Q8: What’s your final piece of advice freelancers can take away from this chat?

Last call on writing tips for freelancers! Here’s the final advice some of our participants had to share with everyone:

Be open to suggestions and constructive criticism. As Sarah said, you’re writing for someone else and you need to listen to their feedback.

Jeff’s advice is to know what you’re worth. Don’t let anyone devalue the work you can create.

The freelance life doesn’t have to be isolating. Danielle suggests making connections on Twitter and in real life to connect with follow writers.

Never stop learning!

To be a writer, you just have to get started. Don’t put it off!

And we’ll close on this inspirational note from Cristy because sometimes you just have to go for it.

Want to join #ContentWritingChat? Follow @ExpWriters and @writingchat, and be sure to join us live every Tuesday at 10 AM Central Time!

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#ContentWritingChat Recap: How to Build a Highly Profitable Personal Brand with Anthony John Amyx

#ContentWritingChat Recap: How to Build a Highly Profitable Personal Brand with Anthony John Amyx

by | Aug 4, 2017 | ContentWritingChat

Are you wondering how to build a personal brand that stands out online? If so, you’re in luck! That’s exactly what we discussed in our latest #ContentWritingChat. We talked about what it means to have a personal brand, the first steps you need to take to build your brand, and how you can incorporate personality into all of your online content.

Does that sound like exactly what you need right now? Keep reading for our recap of Tuesday’s chat!

#ContentWritingChat Recap: How to Build a Highly Profitable Personal Brand with Anthony John Amyx

Our guest host this week was Anthony John Amyx. He’s a personal brand and business growth strategist. He shared some great advice with us this week, which you’ll want to check out!

Q1: What does it mean to have a personal brand and why is it important?

So, what exactly does it mean to have a personal brand of your own? And why is it such an important thing? Here are a few of the responses we received during the chat:

If you want to stand out online, you need to have a personal brand. Show what you’re passionate about and what you have to offer that can help others. This is ultimately going to separate you from others.

As Javi pointed out, your personal brand is your reputation. It’s what other people think of when your name crosses their mind. Whether you realize it or not, we all have a personal brand. That’s why it’s so important to be aware of it.

Julia said personal branding is when you apply your name to your products and services. This begins to establish you as your own brand.

Your personal brand goes beyond the visuals, but it also includes your values, priorities, and influence. It’s all about how you portray yourself online.

Your brand is going to attract the right people and help them connect with you on a deeper level.

Rebecca knows that we all have a personal brand, whether you maintain it or not. That’s why it’s better to be in control of what you’re putting out there online because it directly impacts your reputation.

Q2: What are the first steps to building a personal brand online?

Now that you know why it’s important to build a personal brand, you’re likely wondering how to create a brand of your own. Here are the first steps you should take to establish your brand:

Make sure you know who your target audience is and know your story as well. You also want to build a platform to get people onto your list. All of this should come before you focus on promotion.

Maureen said you need to know what you want to be known for first. Get those building blocks in place in order to get started. You want to know which topics you’ll talk about and you need to find your voice.

Passion is always going to be a key to success. Know what you’re passionate about and use that as fuel to build and grow your personal brand.

It’s important that you figure out your niche and what makes you original. As Shelly said, you should be interested, present, knowledgeable, original, and in demand.

One very important tip to remember when building your personal brand: don’t fake it. People will see right through you if you aren’t being genuine. Be yourself and that’s what will resonate with them.

Nick said you want to put out content that’s going to help you build your brand. Know what’s going to resonate with your audience and what aligns with your goals and share content that fits that.

Cheval’s advice is to provide value to your audience on a daily basis. This is going to help establish trust and allow you to build a relationship with them.

A great way to grow your personal brand on Twitter is to join Twitter chats. They’re the perfect opportunity to find and connect with new people in your niche.

Jenn suggests using strategic words and hashtags on social media. This is going to help more people discover your content. After all, you need those people to find you.

Don’t forget that consistency is key when it comes to branding. As our guest host pointed out, clarity, confidence, certainty, and consistency are essential if you want your brand to be profitable.

Q3: How do you incorporate your brand’s personality and voice into your blog and social media content?

Once you’ve started building your personal brand, you might be wondering how to inject personality into the content you publish online. Take a look at this advice from Tuesday’s chat:

Nick’s advice is to be yourself. He realizes that we, as humans, crave authenticity. Unfortunately, there are so many people online who aren’t being true to themselves though. You’ll be much happier and more successful when you embrace who you really are.

Let your brand’s personality shine through in everything you do online. Don’t hold back! Your personality should be apparent on your site, in your blog content, and on social media.

Maureen advises clients to “stay close to the real you.” She encourages them to own humor and imperfections because that can help build trust.

Authenticity and transparency are so important when it comes to establishing a personal brand.

When it comes to writing, Andrew recommends keeping a mission/goal statement as a reference. This will help ensure you stay on track with your personal brand.

Julia also likes the idea of having style guidelines for writing. When you know how you want your brand to be perceived, it’s easier to create those guidelines and stick to them.

Q4: How can you know if your personal brand is truly successful or not?

How do you know if your personal brand is really getting the results you want? Here are some tips to keep in mind:

First, you need to set goals for your personal brand. You can’t expect to track results if you don’t know what you want to achieve. Figure that out first and you can move forward from there.

Andrew also agrees that you need to have goals. He suggests choosing something quantifiable, which will allow you to track your results. You’re then able to make adjustments as needed to get the results you’re hoping for. Andrew also said having confidence in your own brand is important.

Kavita also knows the importance of setting goals. She also said that people finding value in your personal brand is a good sign. You want people to learn something from you, right?

Trust is essential! If people are beginning to trust your personal brand and they rely on your expertise, you’re on the right track.

Jenn also said that it’s a good sign when people are coming to you for whatever you’re an expert in. That shows that you’re doing something right.

When you see a community being build around your brand, that’s an incredible feeling. You want to have that genuine engagement with your audience.

There’s nothing better than authentic interaction between you and your audience.

Courtney feels true success stems from having genuine followers that engage with you because they like you and the content/message you offer.

A dedicated readership is another sign that you’re on the right path. You want to know that people are reading your content and engaging with it. Content that resonates is going to set you up for a win!

Q5: How can you be sure your personal brand leaves a lasting impression on your audience?

It’s hard to stand out in this noisy online world these days. So, how can you be sure you stand out and actually leave an impression? Check out this advice from the chat:

Building a personal brand requires consistency. As Andrea said, you can’t disappear for months, only to come back and expect people to welcome you again. You need to be present by consistently sharing content and engaging with your audience.

Elizabeth also agrees that consistency is important. She said to be consistent with your look and your presence, but that you also need to be yourself.

Shelly feels your brand will leave a positive, memorable impression by consistently delivering on the promises you’ve made to your audience.

And in case you needed one more reminder: consistency is key.

Kristin encourages you to consider how you leave people feeling after they’ve interacted with you. Do they feel hopeful or motivated? How do you want your audience to feel after reading your content, watching a video, or having a conversation with you?

Sara’s advice is to focus on serving your audience. When you can deliver what they want, they’ll keep coming back for more time and time again.

Q6: Share some of the most common mistakes people make when building their personal brand.

There are a lot of things that can go wrong when building your brand. To make sure you avoid them, take a look at these mistakes people frequently make:

A lack of consistency can set you up for disaster. Make sure you find consistency in your voice. Jason also suggests avoiding anything that may come off as spammy.

Don’t ignore your gut. You shouldn’t do something you aren’t comfortable with.

Brand confusion is going to leave your audience scratching their heads. One way that brands often mess this up is with visual elements. You want to keep styles and colors the same so your content is easily recognizable.

Don’t try to please everyone. You have to focus on doing what’s right for you and your target audience.

As Anthony said, when you try to be everything to everyone, you become nothing to no one.

Don’t ask for something once you’ve connected with someone new. You need to give a lot before you can take something by means of asking.

Maureen said you should never fake your expertise. She also said you need to figure out what makes you different and get some good headshots.

Instead of faking it, know what your strengths are and embrace them. That’s the key to success!

Too many people make the mistake of not engaging with their audience. Have a conversation and develop a relationship with them.

Q7: What are the upsides to building a personal brand? Are there any downsides?

We asked everyone to share the positives and negatives of having a personal brand. Here’s what some of our chat participants had to say:

Jason knows the expanding networking is a definite upside to developing a personal brand. He said it’ll help you find and connect with people similar to you, which is always great.

When creating a personal brand, you get to be yourself. That’s a plus! However, it does take time and effort to establish and grow your brand.

Having a personal brand is a great way to stand out from your competition. Your brand will help others resonate with you.

With a personal brand, your followers are attached to you. They’re not tied to any particular product or company. No matter where you go, they’re likely to follow.

Q8: What are some of your favorite personal brands? Tag them!

Ready to be inspired by some other amazing personal brands? Check out these favorites from the chat:

Jenn and Julia both shared great examples of personal brands that are worth checking out!

Want to join us for the next chat? #ContentWritingChat happens every Tuesday at 10 AM Central Time! Be sure to follow @ExpWriters and @writingchat for the next one!
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