Why Should You Shouldn't Underestimate Content Writing Content is what reaches your audience much before your product or service does.
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In the seven years that I have been running Write Right, catering to small- and medium-sized enterprises with their everyday needs of creative and technical content, I have realized one thing: Content should never be underestimated.
Content writing is a craft in itself. Providing digital and print content for a target audience in the form of descriptions, blog posts, articles, submissions — a content writer is your go-to buddy at all times. A content writing professional has an ideal mix of research, SEO, communication, time management, observation and adaptability. They also have technical and editing skills and a thorough knowledge of social media platforms.
In addition to digital marketing of products, content writing can be for creating a pitch for jobs or admissions. Either way, content writing helps in achieving your end goal.
Why is content writing important for branding?
Content is what reaches your audience before your product or service does. Needless to say, if this first contact is not alluring enough, you'll surely lose that customer before you even engage with them. Words can make or mar decision-making. So, choosing words wisely while developing content for your brand can make all the difference. This goes beyond taglines and logos too: Content on your online and print media conveys the emotion behind your venture. Brand messaging through content writing can leverage your brand in a much better way.
SEO in content writing:
Content writing is majorly based on incorporating keywords and phrases within web content. This increases the site's visibility and SERP rankings. The use of long-tail words, title tags, backlinks and many other such operations used by seasoned content writers is targeted towards taking that particular page higher on the search engine.
To rank higher in Google, the primary keyword and secondary keywords play a crucial role. The right keyword will make a whole lot of difference to the visits to your web page. For this, content writers use various SEO tools and follow certain off-the-record rules like making the keyword appear in the URL, title tag, first 100 words of your page, in an H1 tag, in an H2 tag and so on.
Because keywords are the basis of the algorithm on which search engines run, incorporating proper keywords into your content will take your marketing strategies to a whole new level.
Related: Why You Should Hire a Professional Writer to Boost Your Business
Knowing your audience and competition through content writing
Write for everyone and you end up being read by no one. This is one of the formulas of the content writing world. Content writers know the importance of understanding their audience before they set about writing content. A disconnect between the two is a sure-shot recipe for product or service failure. So, they spend a lot of time researching who they are reaching out to and why. Putting themselves in the reader's shoes, content writers indirectly understand the customer base and also the competitors. This too becomes market research of sorts.
With available data analytics, content writers ensure they are striking the right chord with the audience instead of barking up the wrong tree. That way, when smart consumers come across great content that goes with your particular brand, it sets you apart from the rest.
Emotional appeal through content writing
Powerful content can convert clicks to conversions. With aspects of content development like a catchy header, an urgent "call to action" button and limited period offers, content writing has a specific language that entices your readers to take action. Isn't that the ultimate goal of any business?
Content writing as a tool to educate your audience
One of the primary goals of good content writing is to take the product or service to the consumer. Talking about it, telling them about the pros and cons and making them think rationally before they take the plunge.
Once again, content writing is no child's play. It has different forms, formats, goals and unwritten rules that are followed by the best practitioners. Guiding matrixes bring in a good mix of educational and emotional content. Case studies, success stories all add value to the total of content created to educate the audience.
Related: Are You Following the 4 Ps For Good Content Writing?
Content writing for better traction on social media
Social media is an ever-changing platform. Even before one gets to understand a particular format, it changes. Having a well-thought-out strategy is all-important before your content goes live on social media. You must speak the language that is most understood, create relevant content and keep the target audience engaged. Each social platform comes up with a different need. LinkedIn content cannot be the same as Facebook or Twitter.
Shareability factor
Content aids in linking to other sites, and these links in turn help in improving SEO ranking. If your website is linked by other affiliated sites, it is an image booster. Moreover, blogs and other content can be shared across social media accounts in different formats. While the same content can be shared as images and videos on a platform like Facebook, Twitter accepts bite-sized content. A good blog post shared and liked talks volumes of your brand. You can share awesome features of your product in the form of stories, talk about the trials and tribulations and how you came up with the right solutions.
Content writing is the pivot on which the digital marketing industry rests
To get an edge over others, well-written content is an absolute necessity. One comes across it at every step of your marketing journey:
At the top of the funnel, great content plays the role of educating your prospective customer.
In the middle of the funnel, content helps the customer with options available to them.
At the bottom of the funnel, engaging, encouraging content gives a gentle nudge towards decision-making in your favor.
Invest in your content writing — it will lead to traffic, which will lead to engagement, which will lead to conversion. Never underestimate the power of content writing. It's been done by someone who recognizes your game even before you play it.
