Are you working with the right talent to exceed your content goals?
I spent over 15 years in digital marketing working in corporate culture. I learned countless lessons.
One of them — if you can’t provide real value, you have no consumer.
Think about it.
What do you do before making a purchase or trying to find a solution to a problem you have?
Chances are, you google it.
If you’re like me, you get on your phone. You type in a product you’re looking for or a question you have, and voila — Google gives you a series of search results you can click on tailored to your search.
As a business, making it to that first page of search results is the goal.
If you aren’t at the top, how are others all over the world going to find you? That’s why hiring a digital content writer is essential to your business’s success and growth.
Here’s why.
What a digital content writer does
A digital content writer produces written content for online marketing purposes to increase brand awareness and promote products and services. This type of writer is responsible for writing, editing, and publishing their work in a digital format.
In many situations, a digital content writer is a valued extension of your marketing team. They want to understand your target audience, business challenges, online performance, and digital strategy.
Digital content appears online in the following forms:
- Article or blog content hosted on a website
- Product descriptions for an eCommerce site
- About page website copy
- Content for social media posts
- Clear call-to-actions for SMS text messaging
- Content for online infographics
- Video scripts
- Emails
- Whitepapers posted online
Most highly skilled digital content writers have had experience working in backend CMS platforms and have done the hands-on work of inputting content and publishing it on websites. Some may even understand HTML code and how to edit the code when needed.
Digital content writers have an overarching goal. Their copy must be clear, relatable, and easily searchable.
Digital content writers understand online best practices
A digital content writer makes it a point to stay up-to-date on current online marketing practices. They care about social media trends, and they are always looking for ways to improve overall views with their audience.
An important process around writing online is conducting research and pulling from credible sources (.edu and .gov sites for example). If your information is not credible and you aren’t referencing it correctly, your business is less likely to build ongoing trust with your targeted audience.
Digital content writers make sure they optimize appropriately for search engine optimization (SEO).
They do this by doing the following:
- Using the most searchable keywords
- Optimizing H1 and H2 headlines appropriately
- Choosing an easy-to-read font style and size with mobile in mind
- Using links correctly to make the user experience seamless
Digital content writers care how Google is ranking their content, and they integrate online best practices to deliver results.
Content writers understand the importance of knowing their audience
A digital content writer knows their content needs to be easy to read and relevant to those reading it.
Writing online is very different than writing for print. It needs to be scannable for the reader. Brevity is key. Everyone is limited on time, and digital content writers don’t lose sight of this fact.
To connect with an audience and begin building a long-term relationship, the content needs to be valuable.
How do you create value?
Often times it’s about how your content can solve a problem or answer a probing question. Making an authentic connection with your audience will eventually develop into long-term brand loyalty over time if you’re lucky.
You experience growth as a business by keeping your content focused on the consumer.
Be honest, use language your audience uses, and look for ways to make their lives easier by providing them with content they can use and appreciate.
Digital content writers focus on engagement
A good content writer wants to clearly understand your brand vision and guidelines to deliver consistent messaging that resonates with your targeted audience.
Headlines are important.
A great headline needs to spark interest and prompt the reader to click. Your website is like your online front door. You want your audience to feel welcomed. Your site should be easy to navigate with answers to their questions.
Imagery is also important for engagement. Your pictures on your site, social media profiles, and throughout your emails need to be intentional and closely tie to the written content.
Your audience needs to get a feeling of being familiar with who you are regardless if they are looking at Instagram or getting more information about you on your site.
Digital content writers want to know how their writing performs
A digital content writer seeking to be an expert in their field pushes to understand how their content performs.
They want to know if their writing is resonating after it’s published. A content writer wanting to make an impact wants to understand how to constantly optimize what they create.
A digital content writer tries to find ways to maximize traffic conversions. They do this by encouraging A/B testing where it makes sense to understand for example which ad copy resonates most with the audience. Which word or phrase tends to be clicked on more that results in a purchase?
Evaluating keyword usage regularly is necessary.
Re-evaluating existing content and doing an audit to see where there is a potential for a refresh can boost your search results and also your awareness.
A digital content writer who wants to be a good business partner keeps their eye on the competitor to observe what content is getting the most attention.
There is always a constant focus on learning and a drive to deliver better-performing content.
