What Is Content Writing?
Content writing is the process of writing content for marketing purposes. It lets businesses capture leads and build positive relationships, nudging them down the sales funnel.
This explains why 87% of marketers rely on content to help and support their prospects through the buyer cycle. They include different content types for each buyer's journey stage.
However, because billions of online companies are battling to attract their ideal audiences, they need highly targeted and quality content to reach their target customers.
A content writer aims to produce meaningful, insightful content that inspires prospects to take action.
As such, it isn’t surprising that businesses seek content writing services more than ever. In fact, studies unveil that 70% of marketers invest in content marketing.
Different Types of Content Writing
Content writing isn’t restricted to packing relevant keywords. Instead, the writer should keep the content informative and engaging to tap the target audience's interest.
Some popular types of content writing that you can use to maximize your business growth include the following.
Copywriting
Copywriting aims to sell your products and services. However, the goal is to provide value to the customers. So long as you keep your copy compelling and informational, you’ll successfully build your website and attract more audiences.
Common copywriting types include the following:
- Print advertisements
- Website copy
- Product descriptions
- Infographics
- Sales collateral
- Ads
Strategically crafting these content marketing pieces can earn you a massive following.
Why? Because it’s the first thing your potential customers read on your website. So, it wouldn’t be wrong to say that copywriting sets the foundation for your business.
Blogging
We’re all familiar with blogging.
Almost every savvy e-store owner includes a blog on their website, and for good reasons. Blogs can help you rank on SERPs and intrigue your target audience.
However, you must identify the ranking keywords and include them strategically to appear at the top search rankings. Note that keyword stuffing is not the way out. In fact, Google may penalize you for following such unethical practices.
You must offer value to your readers by writing factual, research-based blogs. You can always tactfully include the keywords. As a rule of thumb, consider adding them in the title, meta description, introduction, headings, and conclusion.
Further, you must choose a specific tone for your blogs. Of course, if you’re a software company, you may want a more technical style. But someone running a fashion business would prefer a striking, compelling tone.
An experienced content writer understands your business goals and drafts content accordingly.
Technical Writing
Technical writing can get tricky but only for those who do not understand your business or services.
This content writing type includes writing guides, white papers, and ebooks to explain how your products and services work.
You must educate the audience about the product details and how they can benefit from it. But keep your writing understandable so everyone can quickly learn about your brand.
Emails
While copywriting targets the audience that might not be familiar with your brand, emails are meant to retain your customers and gain prospect interest.
Therefore, brands go above and beyond to collect customer email addresses because it gives them a chance to approach them directly.
However, you must offer value in your emails to keep your customers engaged. One clever way to pique their interest is to personalize emails. It makes customers feel valued because they sense you do not treat them as a whole.
Social Media Posts
Around 4.62 billion people use social media globally. Customers expect to see their favorite brands online with a massive audience on social channels.
This explains why businesses create accounts on popular channels like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.
The audience will remain skeptical about your brand even if you offer top-notch services but do not have a social media presence.
Anything you write on social media promotes your business and grabs the audience's attention. However, to set an effective content writing strategy for social media, one must understand how each channel operates.
For instance, LinkedIn's audience expects a more straightforward and professional tone. However, customers on Instagram seek more funky content. Besides, a few channels also restrict the amount of content you can write.
For example, Twitter allows you to write only 280 characters per post. So, coming up with appropriate words and captivating sentences requires skill, expertise, and knowledge
Benefits of Content Writing
Technically speaking, almost every company integrates content writing into their business. For instance, when a company sends an email to a potential customer to grow business, they write content.
However, taking a smart content writing approach can immensely benefit your business. The key advantages of content writing include the following.
Boost SEO. An effective SEO strategy helps you rank on the search engine, boosting traffic to your site. So, it wouldn’t be wrong to consider it an integral part of a marketing campaign. A skilled content writer writes SEO-friendly content to help it reach a wider audience.
Increase sales. Content writing sheds light on your services and products, encouraging visitors to take action. For instance, if you want to sell a fitness product, you can write a blog, “The Best Fitness Products to Level Up Your Fitness Game.” Your valuable content will significantly impact fitness freaks' purchase decisions, and they might get convinced to purchase from your brand.
Retain prospects. You can share newsletters or product launch updates with your visitors, giving them a reason to return. Well-written pieces are engaging, and individuals love reading them. However, ill-crafted content writings can have the exact opposite effect.
Build a brand image. Your content will form your brand image. This will enable customers to learn more about your business. The key is to keep your voice consistent to build a strong image in your customer's minds.
Increase conversions. Say you want your visitors to fill out a survey form. The well-written and compelling content piece will encourage visitors to complete the action. They’ll see you as a credible brand offering value, and they wouldn’t mind performing the desired action. Consequently, you’ll boost your conversion rates.
Reach more audiences. Your quality blog posts and informational content is bound to reach a larger, newer audience - so long as you implement the right SEO markers. The more an audience learns about your brand, the higher the chances of selling products and growing the customer base.
Content Writing Basics
Content writing has the power to convert your visitors into prospects and prospects into loyal customers. However, it’s easier said than done.
We’ll dig into some basic content writing tips that’ll help you transform your business for the better.
Research. Thoroughly understanding your target audience will help you produce relevant content. If your audience wouldn’t relate to the content you write, they won’t show any interest in your company.
Hook your audience. Say goodbye to boring blog post introductions. Instead, hook your audience with engaging and captivating content right in the beginning. Do not let them leave. Start with a story, an exciting fact, or research. Encourage them to keep reading with a striking start.
Write like a pro. Writing like an expert doesn’t require using complex vocabulary and hard-to-read sentences. Instead, focus on simplifying the content and making it readable. Break your long paragraphs from hell and use short sentences to keep the readers engaged.
Form a different strategy for each channel. The content for Twitter differs from that of Facebook. You need to understand how each channel works and plan the content accordingly.
Hire experts. Content writing isn’t as easy as it sounds. To create that perfect piece, you need to consider several factors, from SEO to editing and proofreading. Outsourcing the project to industry experts gives you access to the skills and knowledge you need for a successful business.
Mistakes to Avoid
While a few helpful tips come in handy when choosing a firm for content writing purposes, you must keep a few things in check to avoid unwanted hassles.
Some common miscalculations by business owners include the following.
Not communicating properly. Sharing your business goals with the content writing firm helps them produce relevant content. Otherwise, you’ll be highly disappointed after taking their services. You must actively communicate with the company to ensure you do not run into trouble.
Not considering the budget. Avoid hiring an expensive content writing agency; you’ll always have affordable options. Make sure you set a budget and choose a firm that fits it. However, check their prior work to ensure you aren’t choosing a cheap service.
Hire the Top Content Writing Firms With Xpeer
Marketing is progressing by leaps and bounds. Every day we come across new and varying marketing tactics that businesses integrate to gain a competitive edge.
Although a relatively older marketing practice, content writing remains effective to date. You can boost your sales and drive more customers by posting relevant content on your website and social media channels.
Xpeer connects you to reputable and experienced content writing companies that write topic-oriented, error-free content for every industry thinkable.