Content Marketing

Content Marketing: Are You Down With Basics?

 

How Are You Building Your Existing Business By Using Content Marketing?

Your Not?   

First off i think it’s important to know the difference between content and copy.

The greatest distinction between copywriting and content writing lies in its purpose. 

Copywriting is selling your personas on your brand; content writing is subtly telling them about it while delivering valuable content. Copywriting is the art of selling people on an idea, brand or ideology.

What I have discovered is that creating content really is an art form.

It always has to either inform, educate or entertain; and it has to have a clear reason behind the piece; it needs to demonstrate your brand’s voice; and it needs to be a worthy read or video, or audio.

The most powerful type of content writing is focused on the quality of the delivery. For brands (and some data-driven publishers), content writing has to align with strategic business and marketing goals to attract audiences and potential customers.  This means that it has to have been researched and planned.

So, in simple terms; content writing shares information to your audience – while copywriting reveals what your brand is all about.  Got that?

Both of these areas do share similarities though.

Primarily its about the GOAL!

Copywriting and content writing ultimately seek to convert a reader into a sale or a lead.

They also both need to be well-written.

What is written for one will of course differ from the other, but it’s the quality writing, for whatever purposes that creates engagement to the reader and will keep them reading.

The ultimate objective of copywriting is to sell an idea, whereas the ultimate objective of content writing aims to create valuable content to help the audience understand your brand and generate interest.

How Is Your Content Helping You? Click To Tweet

These are the distinct differences.

Now, without sounding like I am teaching a tiny kid here, copywriters write copy and content writers write content, so if you’re confused at what this means, then I will get to it in further detail.

So, a copywriter is a professional person whose job is dedicated to producing copy, which is often known as shortform.  This can come in many forms, but the idea is that a copywriter writes marketing material as their craft and for a living.

A content writer can be anyone.  A bit like myself on this blog.

I am not a professional writer, but I produce content, eBooks and articles.

Many types of people today can write and do write content. And this is regardless of their background, profession or trade. But without doubt, content writers understand the craft of content writing are those who are most effective in their goal.

So, i hope you can now see the difference between the two.

There are many types of Writing also.

A copywriter will write marketing material, and a content writer writes content as we spoke about, but what is the actual difference?

In tradition, a copywriter was in advertising in old the days, but the internet changed everything and that’s what created a great variety of writers.  Now, today, this can mean that many will create, a vast selection of work from Adverts, to brand taglines, even web page content, SEO content, Email marketing, video descriptions and much more.

So, as copywriters can do so much today this can all be in great need.

The content writer also will have many ways they can write various different kinds of content, which might include areas such as; Blog posts like this, ebooks, books, social media copy, podcasts, and even copy for movies and other TV and the radio.

Simply, most brands today require both, so there is a great deal of work, and some writers will do undertake the whole thing.

So, you can write your own content or copy or hire an expert to do it for you.

Content Marketing: Are You Down With Basics?

 

This means that you are creating and sharing valuable and informative content to educate and this can even convert prospects into buying customers or into further sales down the road.  Obviously you are leading with amazing value or people will not trust you. so ensure that you really get this before embarking on a 1000 word piece of content that has no value.

What You Really Want Is Repeat Buyers in all business OF COURSE!

Otherwise we are talking about a mere TRANSACTION SELLING!

NOW wouldn’t that be a waste of time ‘not to’ get a buyer come back?

So. lets say that you have your copy or content, and you are able to monitor it’s effectiveness (advised), you will be able to see how it performs and thus edit, or tweak it as necessary.  But, it has always paid me to allow something to be exposed for at least 30 days before I change it or worse bring it down. Now other may disagree with me and they may have other strategies and techniques when it comes to writing, but I do what works for me.

So, my simple advice is do what you feel works for you.

And if you don’t fancy doing this yourself then again – hire an expert who can do this for you.

So, with this post for example, I aim to serve and to help you, but I also offer my Coaching at the bottom.

I will also share links to anything which relates to this and to me and to any other resource I think you may find useful.

However, you may notice that I won’t promote other as much as myself, as my goal is to get you to take further action with me.

So, your job is to know your goal, and you can do so by building the trust, and even obtain an opt-in which then delivers YOUR offers and further copy or content to another’s email.  There are many ways you can do this and there are many processes, so it might even pay you to hire an expert and they can come from around $200 per hour for a decent enough writer.  If you want the best you can expect to pay nearer $1000 per hour.

I don’t know your budget but, it all depends on what you are trying to achieve and what that may be worth to you.

Our aim is to create repeated, and pretty regular exposure.  We want to build a STRONG and HONEST relationship to create rapport which you both want, and is providing VARIOUS types of FREE VALUE as well as opportunities for THE SALE or conversion.

Content Marketing: Are You Down With Basics?

Your goal is to become respected and gain credibility, and be the main authority or source information on the subject so that another will associate you with someone whom they can trust.

There are several ways to grow your following or lost by using your content:

A Few Ways Are:

> Articles
> Blogging
> Video tutorials
> Email-newsletters
> Free reports
> E- Books

Just realise that, copy and content is driving ALL OF US on the Internet, and people want the information that solves a problem/creates a solution, NOT A QUICK SALE unless it’s amazon or eBay or such like.

Of course these are transactions rather than investments in people.

Building the trust, credibility, and authority from your content creates an OPEN DOOR FOR SELLING, thus providing an open introduction to the benefits of your product or service in your niche.

The most successful people online mostly take this approach that having and providing great valuable content that DOESN’T OUTRIGHT SELL, but rather it combines the ODD message to INTRODUCE the product and that is truly effective.   People are sick and tired of the hard sell.

Content Marketing: Are You Down With Basics?

WHAT DO PEOPLE REALLY WANT?

Well, they don’t want yet another A hole forcing something down their throat. I know I don’t!

Take your time and get it right. Measure what you create. Know your metrics.

Great content conditions your audience to keep on COMING BACK FOR MORE.

Everyone wants to feel like they are being spoken to and heard, I know I do, do you?

Every piece of content you write has to either create a solution that your reader has a passion for or cares about, or, it has to entertain them. If you can mix it up a little then you may have the perfect combination.

JUST MAKE THEM FEEL GOOD. 
Create emotion and curiosity.

I learned this from my buddy Tellman Knudson.

Keep on doing this and stay focused on your goal and, your cool content becomes a KIND OF ADDICTION for your people.

When they see your name in their email, and they know there will be something they want, look forward to and love, guess what?  Yupp! They will become a fan and someone who wants more.  Some won’t even care what you offer they will just want to read more.

So, think about the BENEFITS to the reader, and how they feel.

If they feel good then you can ask them if they would like help with something.

Many People just want to share what they know, as they are excited about it, but don’t lose sight that it’s not about you.  Forget about just looking pretty, they want meaning.

Something I do is to have fun with what I do, a bit like when talking to friends.

So, KNOW YOUR STUFF BUT DON’T BE A BORING TEACHER. Who liked a boring teacher at school huh?

Be real and be personal and give value whilst you smile about it.   Make others FEEL good when they get your message.

We ALL want supporters and fans AND THAT’S IT really!

So, how are you growing your followers and fanbase?  Who are they and what do they want?

What objections are you getting NOW?  Is there a reason that people aren’t buying your stuff?

How good are you with persuasion techniques?

If you BELIEVE IN your product/service then you can easily persuade someone to buy from you over time.

You must know by now that YOU have to be LIKED, TRUSTED and KNOWN before you get a sale.

As I said before, if you or I buy from amazon or eBay or some other online site we already TRUST them.  We have gotten used to buying there and there are guarantees.  But they had to first become TRUSTED.  From there they become LIKED and KNOWN.   You and I have to do the same ‘all be it’ on a smaller scale.

This took me about 4 years to REALLY GET IT!

This is again why content marketing is so effective GLOBALLY.

How many times have you looked at reviews before buying something?

Many people have to TAKE TIME TO CONSIDER things LIKE YOU DO WHEN YOU BUY!

Your content marketing has to delight and to attract.

So, use your content to build that and create A DESIRE for your product or service as they are kind of going to want to become attached to you over time, and this way you can create a ‘strong call to action’.

You will see below that I include various links and offers, and I have created some value in this post, so always see what others are doing both in your niche and outside of it.  ALL writing can be of help, and I certainly read a great deal which helps me.

Remember to keep things Interesting when Marketing.

If you have a boring title or boring content then it doesn’t matter how good you are at writing as you won’t sell in the end because no-one will look at what you have done.  Get a clear objective with your message and ensure that it is congruent throughout the content.

So Get To Work!

I wanted to just touch on the importance of knowing your audience again as this is the key to creating responses.  You and I want to create content and copy that enables actions so that we can build our businesses. 

So, as I said before, hire an expert if you feel this is not your strength area as you could waste so much time and resources and end up with something pretty lame.   Focus on what you do best and if that is not writing then don’t spread yourself too thin.

You may be better off making sales calls, doing the backend tech, branding or something else.  So, nail your role and that of others and this will help you make the greatest steps forward in your growth strategy.

Just remember that we all want CONTENT AND CODY THAT CONVERTS; so whoever is the head of that area get them on it and mastering it.  Organic marketing and content has paid me for my efforts and – as I love writing also I am happy, but I wouldn’t spend my time fixing tech stuff as it is simply not my area.

Understand that – we are dealing with Human beings here who want REAL!   We all do. 

So pay attention to what value you are bringing and why it will help your reader, so that they will want to know more about what you talk about.  Remember – you are leading them to more, that’s always your goal.

So, get moving with your homework and study this area as much as is required and don’t forget to measure your metrics.  You need to know what is working and who is reading it.

There are cheap courses on places like UDEMY and other sites where you can become more familiar with this and get it right.  You may even find that you wish to start a new business or career as freelancer writer?

If you possibly can, try to promote a product or service that is always useful, that people always want, and that will never go out of style.  And if it does then adjust and tweak it, because the last thing a person wants is to be sold a piece of crap.  Capiche!

Hope this has helped.

Thankyou for reading Content Marketing and feel free to comment and share if you found it valuable.

As always I wish you the very best

Greg

1ON1 Small Business Coaching FREE Session Here  

MY BOOKS HERE

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GregDeTisi

Author and Small Business Blogger at Greg De Tisi Writing and Small Business Blogging

Author of 26 books, a course creator and business blogger - Greg has been supporting clients from all backgrounds all over the globe for over 15 years in developing ideas and passions into sustainable Small Business Models. Greg now has more of a focus on supporting his local business community in Bristol UK.