You might think Twitter is a dying platform, but we’re about to prove you wrong with our latest #ContentWritingChat. This week, we covered all the best strategies to help you grow your audience and establish a great brand presence on Twitter. If you’re ready to step up your game on Twitter, dive into this recap!
#ContentWritingChat Recap: Twitter Strategies for a Great Brand Presence with Becky Shindell
Our guest host this week was Becky Shindell. She’s a Social Media Manager for one of our favorite tools, SEMrush. Plus, she works behind the scenes on their Twitter chat, #semrushchat. So, it’s no surprise that Becky is pretty knowledgeable on Twitter and we were excited to have her join us and share some of her best advice.
Q1: How can a brand determine if Twitter is a worthwhile platform to be on?
With all the social media platforms available today, it can be hard to decide which ones are worth your time. If you’re wondering if Twitter is really the right place for your brand to be, we have some advice that will make the decision a little easier.
A1. Identify your goals! If your customer service is lacking, Twitter helps & gives your customers direct communication #contentwritingchat
Becky recommends considering the goals you have for your brand. She knows that Twitter is a powerful platform for customer service. That could be a key way that you use it to serve your customers.
A1 Rule #1, exist where your audience exists. If your target client/reader demographic hangs out on Twitter, be there! #ContentWritingChat
As Annaliese said, make sure your target audience is actually active on the platform. If they’re signed up, but not using it, then it won’t do you any good. You want to make sure your audience is there and already engaged.
Research, research, research! You’re going to have to do a little digging to find out where your audience is most active online, but it’ll pay off in the end.
A1. Is your community on Twitter? Is there already a conversation around your niche? Then, yes! #contentwritingchat
If you aren’t sure if your audience is on Twitter, don’t be afraid to ask them. You can create a survey and ask for responses to find out which platforms they’re most active on. As Lexie said, your social media strategy is all about being where your audience is.
A1 Twitter isn’t a pay-to-play social channel, so there’s an opportunity to reach a lot of people. Plus, it’s fun! #contentwritingchat
Another thing to take into consideration is how Twitter actually works. As Cristy said, it’s not a pay-to-play platform like Facebook as become. Twitter is appealing to so many brands for that reason because they don’t worry about a large portion of their followers never seeing their posts.
Q2: What types of content perform well on Twitter, thus encouraging clicks and shares?
Once you’ve decided to invest your time into using Twitter, you want to make sure you’re posting great content. And we all want clicks and shares, right? These tips will help you create irresistible content your audience will enjoy.
A2. Tweets with images perform best, hands down. Esp. ones with original images! Visual content is ? to your strategy #contentwritingchat
As Becky said, great visuals are key to getting your content noticed on Twitter. An eye-catching image will get people to stop as they’re scrolling through their feeds. Create something that’s going to grab their attention and appeal to them if you want to earn those clicks and shares.
Jessy said it best when she mentioned a great visual can help you break through the clutter. Social media feeds are busy these days and you need a way to stand out. Photos, GIFs, and videos can help you do that.
It’s also important to consider what resonates with your audience. What works for one brand might not work for you and vice versa. Don’t be afraid to test ideas to see what your audience responds well to and what they aren’t digging. Sarah said to make sure everything is helpful, relevant, timely, pretty, and beneficial.
Cassandra agrees that, in the end, it all goes back to what your audience enjoys.
Q3: How do you measure the success of your content? Which metrics are most important to track?
So, you’ve posted all of this content to Twitter… How on earth do you find out if it’s performing well? Which metrics should you be paying the most attention to? There’s no need to let your analytics stress you out! We have some suggestions on what you should be tracking.
A3b. to check for engagement, RT, favorites, demographics, etc. & use these numbers to create similar content that works #contentwritingchat
Becky said she likes to use Sprout Social to see how her audience is responding to content. She tracks engagement, retweets, and favorites. She also takes a look at their demographics to get a better understanding of who the audience is. Then, that information can be used to create more of the content that works and less of what doesn’t.
A3 Engagement, clicks, traffic, real ROI. This Jan, we gained a $5k+ client after he scrolled through @ExpWriters feed!? #ContentWritingChat
Engagement, clicks, traffic, and real ROI. That’s what we’re all about here at Express Writers. And as Julia mentioned, one of our clients signed on with us after discovering our Twitter profile and scrolling through our tweets.
Annaliese offered some great advice that will help you get the most out of your Twitter presence and your analytics. She suggests using Google Analytics and setting it up to track how visitors from Twitter behave once they get to your website.
Conversions, conversions, conversions. The ultimate test of whether or not your Twitter presence is working for you is whether or not those followers are converting. You want to see that they’re not only coming to your website, but converting in some way. That could be becoming an email subscriber, a paying customer, etc. If those conversions are happening, you’re on the right track.
For Tony, it’s all about engagement rate, clicks, and impressions. Engagement is a great thing to track because it’s nice to see that your audience is responding in some way, like leaving a comment. It’s simple, but it helps to build a relationship with them.
Jenn knows just how powerful conversations are between you and your audience. It’s a key step to building trust with them and you need to create content that gets them talking. Make sure you reply to them when they leave their response too!
Like Jenn, Keira also wants to see conversations happening around the content she shares. But as she pointed out, it all depends on the goals you’ve set for your content and that will differ based on the particular post.
Q4: What can you do to get your brand noticed on Twitter?
If you decide to invest your time and effort into a social media platform, you don’t want to go unnoticed. You want people to see your posts and engage with them. You want to attract followers and convert them into customers. So, how do you actually get noticed so you can see major results for your brand? Start implementing these tips:
Becky’s advice is to use relevant hashtags, original images and copy, and great GIFs. She also said to tweet frequently to stay in the feeds of your audience.
A4: If you want to get your brand noticed on Twitter, BE PRESENT. Post consistently and engage with your audience. #ContentWritingChat
If you want your brand to be noticed, you need to be present. Don’t slack off on posting and expect to see growth. Don’t get lazy with engaging and expect to build relationships. You need to be proactive about engaging with your audience.
A4: Take risks with innovation. Be a thought leader in your industry. Keep ahead of changing trends, etc. #ContentWritingChat
Be a thought leader in your industry and people will want to follow along. It’s also important that you stay on top of the latest trends so you can provide the best content for your audience.
Engagement is always essential and Antonio agrees. He stressed just how important it is to listen to what your audience is saying and to respond to them. He also mentioned that you can pay for traffic, but that doesn’t compare with growing your audience by building relationships.
Hashtags are a key way to get your content noticed. They help you reach a wider audience with each post. You just need to make sure you’re using ones that are relevant and popular enough that people will discover it.
Mallie is also a fan of using Twitter chats to make connections. Start reaching out to people in a way that feels genuine and people will respond well.
Q5: How can you capture leads on Twitter in order to turn followers into customers and raving fans of your brand?
We couldn’t have a chat on Twitter strategies without discussing how to use the platform to capture leads, could we? We asked our chat participants to share their advice for taking people from followers and turning them into customers and huge fans. Here are their tips:
Lexie said to be helpful. If you see people asking questions that you can answer, chime in and help them out. They’ll appreciate it and they just might check out your site and possibly become a customer at some point.
Be authentic and treat your followers right. It’ll work out in your favor.
Q6: What are the best strategies for increasing engagement on Twitter?
If you’re feeling like the engagement levels are low on your Twitter account, it’s time to step it up! Luckily, we’ve compiled some great tips from Tuesday’s chat that will help you out. Read through these and implement them if you want a major increase in engagement.
A6b. knowing that they’re talking to a human, not a computer. It’s also important to answer in a timely manner.. (cont) #contentwritingchat
Becky knows how important it is to engage with your audience. At SEMrush, they like to thank people for sharing their content, which is an easy way to open the lines of communication. You could even take it a step further to ask what someone liked about the article they shared.
Julia knows it’s important to be active. If you aren’t, why would anyone both engaging with you? They wouldn’t expect to receive a response. Be present on Twitter. And be sure to try out a few Twitter chats here and there!
A6: Encourage conversation. Ask questions, respond, get the discussion going with your community! #ContentWritingChat
Don’t sit around and wait for engagements to happen. As Jessy said, you need to encourage conversations yourself. Ask questions and respond to replies you get in order to get the discussion going.
As you ask questions, choose ones that are open-ended. Skip the ones where someone could provide a yes/no answer because that doesn’t leave much room for follow-up.
Jason’s advice is to be consistent with your posting and to share relatable tweets. It all goes back to giving your audience what they want. And when you receive replies, take the time to write back.
The reality is, there are many brands out there that don’t bother to respond to people. Don’t be like that! Take the time to respond because that’s what builds relationships.
A6 It’s all about testing – day/time/type of post and even content. Watch your competitors, see what works. #ContentWritingChat
It’s also smart to take posting times into consideration. Test to find out which times work best for your audience and make sure you’re sharing content then. You need to be able to reach them at the right times. Watching your competitors helps a lot, too!
Q7: Do you rely on any tools for scheduling content and tracking the success of your tweets? If so, which ones do you love?
If we want to succeed, we need an easy way to help us implement all of these Twitter strategies, don’t we? Fortunately, there are a ton of great tools out there to help us schedule posts and track how well things are performing. If you’re looking for a new tool to try out, check out the ones in this list:
A7. We use & love @SproutSocial! We’re an intl company & it’s helpful b/c you can assign tasks, report & so much more #contentwritingchat
TweetDeck is another great tool and especially comes in handy during Twitter chats.
Q8: Which brands do an amazing job with their Twitter content? Tag them and let them know!
There are tons of brands who are rocking it online and implementing these very Twitter strategies every day. There’s so much to learn from them, so check out these brands and see what they’re doing well:
Applebee’s continues to impress people with their Twitter presence. One of the great thing about them is that they’re always quick to respond to replies they receive.
We look forward to seeing you at the next #ContentWritingChat! Mark your calendars weekly for Tuesday at 10 AM Central Time for great chats centered around content writing and marketing. Follow @ExpWriters to stay updated on our new topics and guests!
Editorial calendars are an essential part of any content creator’s life. They keep you organized and allow you to strategically plan your content (whether that’s blog posts, videos, social media content, etc.) for maximum results.
In this week’s #ContentWritingChat, we talked all about the benefits of having an editorial calendar, plus a few tips on how to create one of your own. If you missed the chat, there’s no need to worry because we have a recap that’s filled with amazing tips. Let’s dive in!
#ContentWritingChat Recap: The Benefits of an Editorial Calendar for Your Content & How to Create One with Nathan Ellering
Our guest host this week was Nathan Ellering. Nathan is a strategist, a content marketer, and a blogger. He’s also part of the CoSchedule team, making him a great fit for this week’s chat on editorial calendars. CoSchedule is a go-to app for planning your marketing, blog, and social media content, so we were thrilled to have Nathan with us to share his best tips!
Q1: What is an editorial calendar and why are they beneficial for content creators?
To kick things off, we asked our audience to describe what an editorial calendar is. We also wanted to hear why they felt having an editorial calendar was beneficial to their content creation. Here’s what some of the participants in Tuesday’s chat had to say:
A1 Editorial calendars help you see everything you’re working on in 1 place! They save time and reduce stress. ? #ContentWritingChat
— Nathan Ellering (@njellering) February 21, 2017
As Nathan said, having an editorial calendar allows you to see all of your planned content in one place. It can help save you time and reduce stress when everything is planned out and displayed in a neat way.
An editorial calendar allows you to plan out your content marketing strategies. You can organize any written content, promotional material that’s going out, etc.
A1 Ed cals are part of an overall content strategy and help to plan content that helps reach overall goals. #contentwritingchat
— Cristy (@lacristysalinas) February 21, 2017
Cristy knows it’s important to create content that helps you reach your overall goals. Having an editorial calendar is very helpful for this because you can take the time to be strategic about the content you’re creating.
A1 An Ed Cal is a content plan that maps out your campaigns, etc. & helps prioritize. Should be accessible by everyone. #contentwritingchat
You should also use your editorial calendar to map out the campaigns you’re running, as well as any other content you’re creating. As Michelle said, it needs to be accessible by everyone. If you have others on your team who are involved in content, they need access to your calendar.
Nathan’s advice is to plan all of your marketing projects with your editorial calendar. He recommends planning out your social media content, blog posts, email newsletters, and more. There’s no reason not to plan all the content you’re creating in order to stay organized.
Savannah encourages you to plan everything with your editorial calendar! We happen to agree with her. It’s the best way to stay on track with all of your content creation.
A2: All content, but especially time-sensitive content. Think content relating to events and holidays! #ContentWritingChat
Mallie knows that it’s essential to use your editorial calendar as an opportunity to create content around events and holidays. These are key times for content creation and you’ll need to plan in advance if you want to share something great.
As Lex mentioned, don’t forget to be flexible when planning. If something comes up at the last minute and you want to create a piece of content around it, that’s fine. Be willing to adapt when it comes to the latest news, feedback from your audience, etc.
Q3: How far in advance would you recommend someone plan their content with an editorial calendar?
Is it possible to plan content too far in advance? Is there a sweet spot for planning? Based on the answers we received, it seems like everyone has their own preference! Check out these responses:
A3: Plan high level 6 months out, plot ideas for 3 months out, aim to have 100% content complete for 1 month out. #ContentWritingChat
Nathan has a very effective plan in place for his editorial calendar. He recommends planning high-level stuff six months out, plotting ideas three months out, and then aiming to have all of your content completed for one month out. It may sound like a lot, but it’s a great way to organize your entire content creation process.
Sarah from ThinkSEM recommends considering your unique business goals. She also doesn’t advise planning more than six months out and also being flexible for things that come up over time.
For Kristi, she suggests planning your content quarterly. Another great tip she offered was to review and see what’s working every time you plan. You can make adjustments accordingly so you know what to create more of and what to create less of.
Like Michelle said, some content can actually be planned further out. Things like yearly conferences and content around holidays can be planned much earlier, while you may feel more comfortable planning blog posts closer to their actual publication date.
A3 It depends on the type of content. Long form editorial pieces & video require more planning. Social is more flexible. #contentwritingchat
— Cristy (@lacristysalinas) February 21, 2017
Cristy suggests considering the type of content you’re creating. When you think about the fact that long-form content and videos may require more planning and creation time, you need to give yourself ample time to bring them to life.
Q4: How is your editorial calendar organized? Tell us your secrets!
We asked our chat participants to spill all their secrets behind their own editorial calendars. Here’s what they had to say:
A4 We have content 100% complete for 2 weeks out at minimum. Ideas planned 3 months minimum. Strategy = 12 months! ? #ContentWritingChat
A4b: We use color-coding to organize everything in 1 place. Social media, blog posts, videos, podcasts, etc. #ContentWritingChat
— Nathan Ellering (@njellering) February 21, 2017
Nathan said the team’s content is fully completed at a minimum of two weeks out, which is very helpful. (There’s no need to stress about getting things done at the last minute!) Ideas are planned a minimum of three months out while strategy is planned about 12 months out.
They also like to color code everything, which makes it clear what everything is and keeps the calendar organized. Social media posts, blog posts, videos, podcasts, and more all are planned on the editorial calendar.
A4 Google sheets is a must. Include category, assigned writer, deadline, publish date. We also have sheets for ideas. #contentwritingchat
Cristy relies on Google Sheets to keep her content planning organized. She includes the category, the assigned writer, a deadline, and a publish date. She even has a separate document for storing ideas, which is great for keeping everything all in one place.
For Tony, it’s all about a combination of Trello and Google Drive to keep everything in order. He includes copy, images, and links and has content organized by dates.
Q5: What’s your advice for filling an editorial calendar with amazing content your audience will love?
When creating your editorial calendar, it’s important that you fill it with content ideas your audience is going to enjoy consuming. How do you figure out what they want? These tips are guaranteed to help you out:
A5: 30-min brainstorm! 10 mins: Ideation. 10 mins: Idea scoring. 10 mins: Winner optimization for best of the best. #ContentWritingChat
If you really aren’t sure what your audience wants to see, don’t be afraid to ask them. Ask what they’re struggling with and figure out how to create content that solves those problems. They’ll love you for it.
A5 If you already have a library of content, use analytics to determine which content performs best and start there. #contentwritingchat
Check your analytics! See what performed well in the past and consider creating more of the same kind of content since you know it has already worked for you.
A5 Also – don’t be shy about repurposing, reposting or updating existing content. #contentwritingchat
— Michelle (@michelletweet) February 21, 2017
You can also use the data in your analytics to take that content that has already performed well and repurpose it. Michelle said to repost or update the content you already have. It’s a great way to get new eyes on your content.
A5) Know your audience and provide a healthy mix of educational, informative, inspirational and entertaining content. #ContentWritingChat
It’s important to know and understand what your audience wants. Deliver content that is educational, informative, inspirational, or entertaining.
A5 For God’s sake, don’t think of it as “filling space on a calendar.” Be goal-oriented and audience-centric. #contentwritingchat
— Bill Skowronski (@BillSkowronski) February 21, 2017
No matter what, you need to keep this advice from Bill in mind. Don’t just try to fill your editorial calendar with content for the sake of publishing. Everything you create should serve a purpose by providing value to your audience and helping you achieve your end goals.
Q6: In what ways can an editorial calendar help you improve your content marketing strategy?
How exactly can an editorial calendar help you create a winning content marketing strategy? Here are some answers from Tuesday’s chat:
A6: Editorial calendars force you to publish. Set a deadline. Publish no matter what. Shipping trumps perfection. #ContentWritingChat
Nathan said editorial calendars force you to publish. Set a deadline for yourself and stick with it because it’s the best way to ensure you’re consistent with your content. Don’t stress about making things perfect. Create your content and unleash it on the world.
A6 Helps you make sure that the content you are creating is aligned with your content strategy, are you hitting goals? #contentwritingchat
— Mack Collier (@MackCollier) February 21, 2017
Mack said an editorial calendar helps you to make sure the content you create is aligned with your overall content strategy. Ask yourself if you’re hitting your goals. If not, it’s time to make a change.
An editorial calendar helps you focus on your strategies and goals so you can achieve major things with the content you create.
A6: It helps you keep a blog updated and keeps you in front of your customers. #contentwritingchat
— Netvantage Marketing (@netvantage) February 21, 2017
When using an editorial calendar for your blog, it ensures your website is staying updated with new content. (That is, if you’re actually sticking to those self-imposed deadlines!) This is key to staying in front of your customers.
A6 Planning > Winging It. It might be tempting to keep it casual, but you’ll see better results with proper planning. #contentwritingchat
In the end, having an editorial calendar is a great way to hold yourself accountable.
Q7: Do you use any tools to create your editorial calendar? If so, which ones are your favorite?
Whether you’re a fan of pen and paper or a dedicated app, there are plenty of options for creating an effective editorial calendar. Check out what some of our chat participants rely on:
Being part of the CoSchedule team, it’s no surprise Nathan raved about it. It’s a great tool to keep you organized, whether you’re planning blog posts, marketing, or social media.
The Netvantage Marketing team keeps it simple with Google Drive. They’ve also used Basecamp when working with clients and like Sprout Social for social media scheduling.
Jeremy relies on a combination of a variety of tools to stay organized. He uses Google Docs, Evernote, and iCal.
A7: I like using my Google Calendar because I can access it anywhere. Plus it helps me color code too. #contentwritingchat
— Mind of a Diva (@MindofaDiva) February 21, 2017
Color coding in Google Calendar is a must!
Q8: What are your best strategies for using and maintaining an editorial calendar?
Before you rush off to create your first editorial calendar or to touch up your own, read these final tips from this week’s chat. They’re sure to help you create a calendar that’s effective and helps you to stay organized.
A8: Communicate as a team. Commit to the new process. Prevent yourself from retrogressing to inefficient, old behaviors. #ContentWritingChat
Nathan’s advice is to communicate as a team. If you have multiple people involved in content creation, keep them in the loop and discuss ideas together.
A8 I know people HATE meetings, but we have a weekly mtg where all bring ideas. Super helpful because we’re different! #contentwritingchat
— Cristy (@lacristysalinas) February 21, 2017
Cristy also knows it’s important to bring the team together. Have a weekly meeting to brainstorm and discuss ideas. Allow everyone on the team to have a voice.
Be realistic about what you can accomplish in the time you have. Don’t spread yourself too thin or take on more than you can handle at one time. We look forward to seeing you at the next #ContentWritingChat! Mark your calendars weekly for Tuesday at 10 AM Central Time for great chats centered around content writing and marketing. Follow @ExpWriters to stay updated on our new topics and guests!
Are you curious about blogging for ROI in 2017? That’s what we covered in our latest round of #ContentWritingChat! And if you missed out, you’re in luck because we’ve created a recap for you and it’s filled with awesome tips. Keep reading to check it out!
Blogging for ROI in 2017: Where to Blog, SEO, and Writing Strategies with Julia McCoy
For this week’s chat, our very own CEO stepped in to guest host. Julia McCoy shared her expertise on blogging for ROI in 2017 and offered some amazing tips for writing, SEO, and where you should be blogging this year. We covered some of the key topics to help you succeed as a blogger this year, so make sure you read through them and start implementing this advice for yourself!
Q1: For those that aren’t convinced, why is blogging still so important for brands?
The reality is, many brands still aren’t convinced that blogging is worth their time. They don’t realize the value that it can provide to their audience and their brand overall. So, let’s convince them why they should be blogging! Here are just some reasons blogging is important for brands:
Julia knows that blogging is a must for brands! She even shared some pretty impressive data that backs it up. The graph above shows Express Writers outranking major competitors solely from blogging. She also shared some stats that are sure to convince you of the importance of starting your own blog this year.
A1: Blogging is a lead generation opportunity. It’s how you can build influence, which draws in an interested audience. #contentwritingchat
As Annaliese said, blogging is a lead generation opportunity. So many people will stumble upon your blog and want to do business with you because of the content you share. She also said blogging helps you build influence, which is key to drawing in your audience.
Jason knows that blogging is a powerful way to establish an authentic, authoritative voice. Your blog is your place to share your thoughts with your audience.
A1: Blogging is a great way to show your expertise to the industry. It also helps you connect with your audience. #contentwritingchat
Blogging is an opportunity to show off your expertise to your industry, but also to your audience. It’s a great way to connect with your audience and to start building a relationship with them.
A1: Blogging is important because it allows brands to expand their audience, share more information, and establish voice #ContentWritingChat
To put it simply, blogging is an opportunity to expand your audience, share quality information with readers, and can help you establish your voice as a brand.
A1. Social media is just rented properties while your blog is your real estate #contentwritingchat
Cheval’s advice is important to keep in mind. Social media is like rented property when you think about it. You don’t own the platform, nor can you count on it to always be around. If a social media platform shuts down, you’re going to lose your followers and everything you’ve worked so hard to build (unless you’ve successfully converted them to readers, subscribers, and customers). Your blog, however, is one place that you truly own and are in control of.
Q2: Where should you blog this year besides your own website? Discuss how to find the right platforms.
While blogging on your own website is great, blogging on other sites can provide major results. There are a lot of benefits to guest blogging, but it’s all about choosing the right places to post if you want to make it work for your brand. Keep these tips in mind:
Julia recommends creating a target persona for your audience so you know what they’re like. You can figure out their demographics and also what sites they’re reading on the web. That’s where you should be sharing your content! Check out the blog post she linked for more information on creating your own target persona.
A2: Guest blog on the websites YOUR audience is reading. Find out where they spend their time online and BE THERE. #ContentWritingChat
The key to choosing the sites to guest blog on is figuring out where your audience spends their time online. You want to post on the sites that your target audiences reads so they’ll discover you and head over to your website.
Jason also knows the importance of finding the popular blogs in your wheelhouse and guest posting there. It’s the best way for you to reach your target audience and hopefully make them a fan of your brand.
Varun recommends posting on forums that are specific to your industry, guest blogging on authority websites, and also using platforms like Quora, Reddit, and LinkedIn.
Another great option is to create content for Medium. Trying posting there a few times and see if you notice any results. Blogging for ROI is going to take some trial and error and you have to figure out what works for your brand.
Q3: What are a few SEO strategies all bloggers need to know if they want to get their content noticed?
It’s no secret that if you want to get your content noticed, SEO is very important. And we can’t talk blogging for ROI without mentioning some SEO tactics, can we? Of course not! So, in order to make sure your content gets noticed and attracts viewers, these are the optimization basics you need to know:
Julia knows how important it is to be able to conduct keyword research. She also said you need to know how to use H2s, H3s, alt tags, and how to write a meta description. It may sound overwhelming for beginners, but it’s all easy to figure out.
Sarah from ThinkSEM said you need to know your audience and what is going to resonate with them. Before you start thinking about SEO tactics, this is the first thing you need to consider.
A3: Use a keyword research tool to find out what keywords surrounding your topic are most relevant to your target.#contentwritingchat
Once you have the right keyword, you can plug that into your content. You’ll want to use your keyword in the title of your blog post, the URL, the meta description, and throughout the post itself. As Mallie said though, it’s important that you don’t go overboard. Keyword stuffing is a huge turn-off for your readers and Google doesn’t like it either. They should be incorporated in a way that feels natural.
Yoast is a great SEO plugin to use if your site is running on WordPress. It’s very simple to use and it makes optimization easy for beginners and those who are more experienced. We use it here at Express Writers and highly recommend it!
Jeff knows that Google Analytics is another great tool to use as part of your keyword strategy in order to optimize your content.
Q4: How can you figure out what content your audience most wants to see on your blog?
In order to attract people to your blog in the first place, you need to create the content they want to see. Once they know you’re a source of great information, they’re going to keep coming back for more. But how do you figure out what kind of content you need to create for your audience? Check out these tips:
Julia recommends figuring out what your audience’s biggest questions are and answering them. You can use tools like Answer the Public and others to figure out what they need help with.
Not sure what your audience wants? Ask them! It really is that simple. You can create a survey and share it for readers to leave their feedback and you’ll easily see what they’re interested in. You can also post on social media to get suggestions.
Jeff also agrees that asking your audience what they want is a pretty powerful strategy. Not only does it provide you with great feedback, but it gives your audience the chance to have their voice heard. They’ll appreciate that.
A4: See what they are talking about, liking, sharing, etc Listen > Talk #ContentWritingChat
Besides flat out asking them, you can also conduct a little research of your own. Figure out what they’re talking about, what they’re liking and sharing. Listening is key to understand your audience. Check out their conversations on social media and pay attention to the comments they leave and the emails they send.
It’s also worthwhile to see what your competitors are doing. Check out businesses that are similar to yours and find out what’s been working for them and what’s not. You obviously don’t want to copy their strategy, but it can give you plenty of ideas for what you can create.
A4: I send out a yearly survey and watch my analytics to see what they like.Those are measureable methods. #contentwritingchat
Sending out a yearly survey is a great way to question your audience about their interests. Getting into the habit of doing it every year ensures you’re always updated on what your audience is looking for. It’s also wise to check your analytics to see which posts are more popular since it gives you an idea of what to create more of.
A4. Watch your analytics + iterate on topics with the most views/long length on page. #contentwritingchat
Kristen also knows your analytics can be helpful when it comes to content creation. See which posts get the most traffic and which posts your readers spend the most time on to see what works best.
A4 – The content marketer who understands their audience the most wins. Every time. #contentwritingchat
And as James said, it all goes back to understanding your audience.
Q5: How important is it to include a call to action in your blog posts? Describe an effective CTA.
A call to action essentially tells your reader what the next step is. What do you want them to do after reading your blog post? Do you want them to leave your site without engaging with you, possibly to never return again? Definitely not! That’s where a call to action comes in. Check out these tips for crafting an effective CTA:
If you’re blogging for ROI, then it’s essential that you prompt your readers to take action. A clear CTA will tell them exactly what to do and will encourage them to follow through.
As Jeff pointed out, you also can’t assume your readers are just going to take the action you want them to take. You need to make it clear and empower them to follow through.
Your content should serve a purpose and it’s important to let your audience know what’s next. Sarah recommends that all CTAs should be visible, understandable, and well-placed and in order to be effective.
A5: Your CTA is crucial! It has to be well written, compelling, and concise or there was little point to your post #contentwritingchat
Without a CTA, there isn’t much of a purpose to your post, is there? Make sure it’s well-written, compelling, and concise in order to inspire action.
Q6: What are the secrets to making blog customers convert into real customers and clients?
Once you have people visiting your blog, you want them to take that next step with your brand. You want them to ultimately become customers and clients. How do you make that happen? We’ve got some great advice for you:
A6 Targeted reader topics, writing the most thorough answers to their biggest questions, SEO optimization, great CTAs #ContentWritingChat
Focus on solving the common problems your audience is facing. They’ll appreciate you for it and you’ll be able to establish yourself as an authority in the process.
Taking pen to paper is always so satisfying! Sometimes it’s just a lot nicer to do things the old school way as opposed to typing or punching out laters on our phone’s keyboard.
Q8: Which blogs do you read on a consistent basis? Tag them and let them know!
To wrap up our chat on blogging for ROI, we wanted to know which blogs our audience loves to read. Here’s what some of them had to say:
Don’t get so caught up in consuming content that you forget to embrace the world around you. As Shannon said, you need to pay attention and you’ll surely find some ideas for your content.
We look forward to seeing you at the next #ContentWritingChat! Mark your calendars weekly for Tuesday at 10 AM Central Time for great chats centered around content writing and marketing. Follow @ExpWriters to stay updated on our new topics and guests!
Did you catch #ContentWritingChat this week? If not, there’s no need to worry! We have a recap of our latest chat and it’s filled with amazing tips to help you take your content to the next level. If you’re ready to learn how to create content that builds community and generates leads, keep reading!
#ContentWritingChat Recap: How to Create Content That Builds Community & Generates Leads with Kathleen Burns
For this week’s chat, we were joined by Kathleen Burns. Kathleen is the Community Manager the United States Blog Editor for our friends over at SEMrush. She joined us to share her tips on creating content that not only builds community for your brand, but also helps you generate leads.
Q1: How can you create content that appeals to your audience? What steps do you need to take?
One key element in creating successful content for your brand is appealing directly to the people you’re trying to reach. Without creating the content that speaks directly to them, you’re going to wind up attracting all the wrong people or worse… No one at all! Here’s what you need to know about creating content your audience will love:
As Kathleen said, the first step in creating content that appeals to your audience is talking to them and listening to what they have to say. You can learn so much about the questions they have and the issues they’re facing by just asking them. Reviews, posts on online forums, and comments on your blog are also great sources of feedback from your audience. She recommends creating a reader persona so you know exactly who you’re writing for.
It always helps to address your audience’s key pain points. Not only will they appreciate it, but it’s the best way to provide tremendous value to them. They’ll want to keep coming back for more and more after that.
Julia agrees! Listening is key to getting to know your audience and understanding their needs. Treat it like a real life relationship and start making those connections through conversations and listening to what others have to say.
A1 – Step one is always the same: Know your audience. I mean KNOW them. Know what they care about and motivates them #contentwritingchat
James said step one is always to know your audience. Without truly knowing who you’re trying to reach with your content, you aren’t able to create the content that will speak to them. Get to know and understand your audience before you move forward with creating blog posts and social media content.
A1a: Know your audience. What are they talking about, what have they liked of your content so far? #ContentWritingChat
Kristi agrees that knowing your audience is the first step to content creation. She suggests determining what they’re talking about, but also what they have liked of your content so far. For example, see what your most popular blog posts are because it’s likely a good indicator that your audience would love to see more content that’s similar.
Bill’s advice is to learn the preferences of your audience as well as their pain points. When you know they’re preferences, you can determine what content formats they like the most and which topics are their favorites. Understanding their pain points gives you the opportunity to solve their biggest struggles.
Cassandra’s advice is spot on. If you want to get to know your audience, it helps to get out and actually talk to them. Strike up a conversation in your blog’s comments, on social media, or within your email newsletter. The options are endless. Figure out what they need and what they’re struggling with and then deliver exactly what they need.
As Jacob said, you want to understand the problems, desires, and wants of your audience. Once you have that figured out, you can create the content they need the most.
Q2: Why is it important to set goals for your content? Discuss goals to set for community building and lead generation.
The content you create should always serve a purpose, whether it’s a blog post, a video, a podcast, or something else. In order to determine if you achieved what you set out to do, you need to set goals that you can actually measure and track. Here’s what some of the participants in Tuesday’s chat said about setting content goals:
Kathleen said content goals provide direction and depth for content development. Here advice is to make your goals something measurable and define what a successful piece of content means for you. That could be different for everyone and could vary depending on the content. One blog most might be designed to drive email sign-ups, while another could be promoting a product or building brand awareness. It all depends what you’re trying to achieve.
Right on! If you don’t set goals, you have no way to measure your success. If you can’t measure your success, you won’t have any idea how to make improvements the next time around. And the reality is, no matter how great we think we are, there’s always room for improvement. You just need to know what to improve upon and you can only do that by measuring your previous results.
As Zala said, you don’t want to just push content out. Your content needs to serve a purpose so you should always have a measurable call to action (CTA).
A2: If it’s not getting results, it’s wasting time and money. Results are less meaningful without a goal to tie them to! #contentwritingchat
As Sarah said, if you aren’t getting results then it’s just a waste of time and money. You want to make sure you’re achieving what you set out to do after putting so much time and effort into creating your content. Setting goals and measuring the results is what will help make this all worthwhile.
She also mentioned that some great goals for community building include engagement factors. Is your audience liking and sharing your content? Are they leaving comments? Is your community growing? These are all great things to track.
Q3: What kind of content helps to build an engaged community around your brand?
Building a community is something pretty much every brand is after these days. You want to have a loyal audience who likes your content and trusts you. You want your audience to take that next step and engage with you. These tips will help you create that for your own brand:
Kathleen recommends addressing the needs of your audience with the content you create. You can share tips that will help them in some way, which they’ll find beneficial.
Jason said to post content that is relatable and shareable. Pictures and quotes are always a great way to go. When you share content that inspires them, they’re going to be more inclined to share it with their audience.
Jenn suggests sharing things like user-generated content, infographics, videos, and interviews. Content that is going to encourage a conversation between you and your audience is key here. You can always experiment to see what works best for your brand because it’s going to be different for everyone.
A3 User-generated content. If you want an engaged community, give them space to create it. #contentwritingchat
Lex also agrees that user-generated content is powerful. Encourage your audience to actually be a part of your community by inviting them to post content that is relevant to your brand. One of the best ways to do this is through a branded hashtag on Instagram.
If you want to build an engaged community, you need to provide value through the content you create. Debi’s advice is to create content that helps your audience by answering their questions. Everything you share should be relevant to grab their attention.
A3: Give them a reason to interact: poll, question, video. Sometimes you can gain info for a blog! #ContentWritingChat
Make sure you give them a reason to interact with you. As Kristi said, you can create a poll or ask questions to get feedback and to get a conversation flowing. It really is that simple! You just have to be willing to take that step to encourage engagement.
As Julia mentioned, live conversation is perfect for this. You can do that through your very own Twitter chat, live video, and more.
Q4: How will you know if your content has been well-received by your audience? What metrics are important to track?
When you’re creating content, one thing that’s important is making sure your audience actually liked it. But how can you tell if they enjoyed your content and received value from it? These tips will help you determine the success of your content, plus you’ll know exactly which metrics to track:
Kathleen said to ask yourself which metrics apply to your overall goals. Depending on your goals, you may want to track mentions, replies, social media shares, and downloads.
As Liliana said, it’s clear that your content was well-received when your audience takes some sort of action. Click-throughs, comments, and downloads are all metrics that are worth tracking.
A4: If your content is being talked about you see community growth, track clicks, shares, web metrics and sales #ContentWritingChat
Brandie pointed out that some common metrics include clicks, shares, and sales. It’s also worthwhile to monitor what your audience is saying. Are they talking about your content and if so, what are they saying about it? If your content got them talking in a good way, then that’s always a positive sign.
Keep in mind that everyone has different goals for their content and sometimes your goal can vary depending on the piece of content. Some common metrics are shares, conversions, and sales. When you see people converting on your content or making a purchase, that’s always a great sign that they received some amount of value. There’s nothing better than when your audience takes that next step with your brand.
Q5: What are key steps to take in order to generate leads from blog posts and social media?
One of the top goals people set for their content is lead generation, however many people just don’t know how to make it happen. So, here’s what you need to know to see results:
A5: What’s your CTA? Urge action! Provide an answer in your content, lead them to a solution or discussion in community #ContentWritingChat
Don’t forget that call to action! If you want your audience to take that next step, you have to be clear about what that next step is. Hold their hand and lead them exactly where you want them to go. Don’t count on them to figure it out on their own.
Jason also knows the importance of an effective CTA. Make it clear what you want your audience to do next so they aren’t left wondering. You have to capture their attention before they click off your page for good.
A5: Create a personal connection between audience/content, foster a meaningful and transparent relationship. #ContentWritingChat
Developing a connection with your audience is key in establishing trust. The reality is, people aren’t likely to buy your product or service after discovering you for the first time. You have to work to build a relationship with them and build trust before you can expect to generate leads consistently.
Engaging with your audience is a key part of generating leads. People are going to be more inclined to purchase from a brand that they have engaged and connected with. Chat with your audience and start building that KLT (Know, Like, Trust) Factor with them and you’re sure to see results.
A5: Engage with your audience, have authentic conversations, show you care. Follow up later. #ContentWritingChat@ExpWriters
Jeremy also agrees that engagement is important when it comes to generating leads. Make sure you’re having conversations with your audience, listening to what they have to say, and genuinely showing that you care about them and their needs. If they don’t take action right away, you can always follow up with them.
These are all essential steps that Lex suggested. She recommends listening to your audience and helping them in any way that you can, which then builds trust. You should also create CTAs and set goals for your content.
Q6: How does brand storytelling play a factor in community building and lead generation?
You likely hear people talking about the importance of “brand storytelling” all the time these days. You may even be wondering how it impacts community building and lead generation and how you can use your brand’s story to your advantage. Here’s what you need to know:
A6: Storytelling can bring a community coming together to tell a singular story with many voices about a brand #ContentWritingChat
As Kathleen said, storytelling can bring a community together. That’s pretty powerful for anyone who is trying to grow their brand and develop trust with their audience.
Overall, storytelling makes your brand feel more human. It gives your brand personality, a meaning, and passion. Your brand’s story is ultimately what will draw people in and what will help them connect with you.
A6. Humans connect through story. And people buy from people. The story is the common thread connecting sales to values. #contentwritingchat
As Brittany said, humans connect through stories and people buy from other people. A potential customer is going to be more likely to purchase from you when they feel connected in some way and when they’ve started trusting you.
Your story adds personal flair and character to your brand, which is what your audience will find relatable. It’s what will draw them in and make them love what you’re creating.
A6: Storytelling resonates with the audience. It helps create a connection with each person & makes it personal. #contentwritingchat
When your story resonates with your target audience (and it should), it helps you to develop a deeper connection with them. That’s only the beginning of the customer journey.
If your brand’s story isn’t worth following, why would anyone want to stick around? Your brand story needs to be compelling and should appeal to your target audience.
Q7: Which tools do you rely on to help you create amazing content?
While you’re totally fine to just rely on pen and paper, we have a plethora of amazing tools at our fingertips today. These are tools that help make the content creation process even easier, which is always a plus. Check out these tools for yourself:
A keyboard and a brain full of ideas is a great place to start when it comes to content creation. Plus, it never hurts to have a furry friend to bounce ideas off of.
A7. I’m also never without a notebook or my phone to jot down ideas when they come. #contentwritingchat
Brittany always keeps a notebook or her phone on hand to jot down ideas as she gets them. It’s so important to have a place to store those ideas that pop up when you least expect it.
Sabjan turns to BuzzSumo, Neil Patel, and our own Julia McCoy when he needs help with content creation.
Q8: What brands have built an incredible community?
And finally, we wrapped up the chat by asking everyone to tag a brand they felt has built an incredible community through their content. Here’s what some of them had to say:
A8: @buffer has really built an incredible community around their brand thanks to their amazing content. #ContentWritingChat
The Tentacle team thinks Taco Bell has done a great job at building a strong community. We look forward to seeing you at the next #ContentWritingChat! Mark your calendars weekly for Tuesday at 10 AM Central Time for great chats centered around content writing and marketing. Follow @ExpWriters to stay updated on our new topics and guests!
Did you catch our latest #ContentWritingChat over on Twitter? If not, you missed one informative chat! We talked all about successful content creation to help you prepare for the year ahead. If you missed out or you need a refresher on all those amazing tips, this recap is for you!
#ContentWritingChat Recap: Successful Content Creation and Marketing in 2017 with Don Purdum
For this week’s chat, our guest host was Don Purdum. Don is an award-winning blogger and a marketing consultant. He joined us to share his top content creation and marketing tips so you can put them to use for your brand this year.
Q1: Why is it vital to have a relevant message for your audience, especially in 2017?
It’s so important, now more than ever, to make sure you’re sharing a message that’s relevant to your audience. But do you know why? We’ve got the answer, courtesy of our chat participants!
A1: #1 – Relevance determines how they experience you based on their problems, needs, wants or desires. #contentwritingchat
Don said that relevance determines how your audience experiences you based on their problems, needs, wants, or desires. He also brought up a great point that your content shouldn’t be all about you. It needs to provide some sort of incentive to your audience to get them read, comment, share, and link to you.
As Jason said, without a relevant message, your audience won’t resonate with you. You have to develop a connection with them and understand their needs.
A1 – Talking to everyone = talking to no one. Know thy audience (like you went to camp together) #ContentWritingChat
Jason pointed out that talking to everyone is essentially talking to no one. You aren’t going to attract your ideal audience if you aren’t directly speaking to them and addressing their needs.
A relevant message is going to help you stand out in an otherwise crowded online space. Jacob said you need to produce a relevant message if you want your content to be read.
As Savannah said, there’s a lot of noise online today. We have to be wise about what we choose to consume. When you provide a clear message to your audience, it will help them easily decide if your content is right for them and worth their time.
Our CEO, Julia, is spot on with her answer. Relevant content = winning content! You want to create the content your audience will love.
Q2: Define giving value in content marketing. How do I know if my audience receives it?
We know it’s important to give our audience tremendous value in the content we create, but what does that actually mean? And how can you tell if your audience has received value? Here’s what you need to know:
A2 – I define value as solving one problem, meeting one need, or fulfilling one desire, for one person. #contentwritingchat
For Don, he feels that providing value is when you can solve a problem your audience is facing or meeting one of their needs. He also said that you can tell your audience has received value when you notice things like social media shares, links to your content, and comments.
Sarah from ThinkSEM said you can provide value to your audience by knowing what they need and want and delivering on it. When you see them taking action, that’s when you know they’ve received the value you aimed to provide.
Zala brought up some great questions you can ask yourself to determine if you’re providing value. Are you speaking to the needs of your audience? Are they giving you their attention? Are they actually reading your content, leaving comments, buying what you’re offering, or coming back for more?
Engagement and conversions are two ways you can tell if your audience is receiving the value you provide.
Q3: In order to increase conversion rates, what should be a content creation focus for 2017?
Whether you’re trying to get someone to buy a product, sign-up for your email list, or something else, those conversions are very important. So, how do you increase your conversion rates to get major results online? Check out these tips:
A3 – #3 – Follow Google’s EAT principle… E = Expertise A = Authority = Trustworthiness #contentwritingchat
You should have a purpose to every piece of content you create. You need to have a goal that you’re working toward so you can measure the results you receive. It’ll let you know if your content is working or not.
A3 If you want conversions, focus on content that fills a need and drive clear calls to action at every stage of funnel #ContentWritingChat
Great advice from Bill! He said to focus on content that fills a need for your audience and provide clear calls to action throughout the customer funnel.
A3: Don’t forget to actually include a call to action. If you want to increase conversions, TELL them what to do next. #ContentWritingChat
Once you know what you want to achieve with the content you create, you need to tell people want to do next. Don’t just hope they’ll figure it out on their own. Provide a call to action so they know what the next step is with you.
Jason also knows the importance of a call to action, but he also said you need to connect with your audience. If you lack that connection, they aren’t likely to take the next step.
Julia said you should spend time researching hot topics that your audience would be interested in. She loves tools like Answer the Public and BuzzSumo for this.
A3: #2 Understand how your audience is receiving content. Audio? Video? Blog post? Know what they want and create it. #contentwritingchat
Caleb brings up a great point about knowing how your audience likes to receive content. Do they prefer audio, video, or written blog posts? Figure out what they want and create it because you’ll be more likely to see conversions taking place with the right content.
Q4: What are steps you can take to ensure a lower bounce rate on your website?
If you want to lower your bounce rate and get people staying on your website for a long time, here’s what you need to know:
A4 – #1 – Create amazing content that is specific, relevant and organized. It’s about value over selling. #contentwritingchat
When you actually deliver on the value you promised to people, they’ll want to stay on your site to read more and more. One great way to get visitors to check out more content on your website is to interlink relevant blog posts.
A4: First, target the right audience with your content. Second, provide high quality & helpful content. #contentwritingchat
You also want to make sure you’re creating content that is targeting your ideal audience. If you aren’t, you’re going to wind up attracting all the wrong people and they aren’t going to stick around.
A4: Write content you are passionate about, your community wants to read what you love, solve problems, be vulnerable #ContentWritingChat
It’s also a great idea that you don’t mislead people with a clickbait headline. They won’t be inclined to stick around if you do. Then, provide readers with quality writing and real value.
Don said you need to keep your content within your area of expertise, as opposed to straying from your core message. This helps to create relevance. You can also use your content as a way to position yourself as an authority.
A5: Your message is what you want to say – content is how you say it – and SEO is how you can get it found organically. #contentwritingchat
Don recommends building relationships with relevant influencers. You can comment on their blogs and share their content on social media as a way to get them to take notice. When an influencer shares your content, it’s a great way to make new people aware of your work.
@ExpWriters A6: Answer the questions that they are searching for and go where they already are going and converse there #ContentWritingChat
Jacob said to figure out where your audience is already spending time online. Go there and start engaging with them. It’s a great way to build a relationship with them.
As Debi said, you need to start by optimizing your content. This ensures people are going to find it organically. Then, spread the word yourself by sharing content on al relevant online channels that your audience is using.
Shanelle offered a piece of helpful advice as she reminds us to be persistent. You can’t expect to receive results overnight, so keep trying to get your content out there.
Q7: What kinds of content work best to earn links and shares for your brand?
What kinds of content are going to get you the most links and shares? Check out what our chat participants had to say about this one:
A7 – What works best for us are expanded list posts (6,000+ words), infographics and resource guides. #contentwritingchat
For Don’ts brand, long-form content reigns supreme. His audience loves the 6,000+ word content they create, as well as infographics and resource guides.
Lex knows that long-form content that provides value is key to getting that SEO juice.
Q8: Share a few tools you use to create compelling content and relevant messaging.
The good news is, there are always tools to help you create amazing content for your brand. Check out some of these tool suggestions and try using them for yourself:
Smart answer from Michelle! She knows the importance of social listening, as it’s a great way to figure out what your audience wants and needs.
We look forward to seeing you at the next #ContentWritingChat! Mark your calendars weekly for Tuesday at 10 AM Central Time for great chats centered around content writing and marketing. Follow @ExpWriters to stay updated on our new topics and guests!
