With the growth of the Internet and Social Media, content marketing is at an all time high. There are a few different forms of content that a marketer could use, but in this post we are going to focus on written content.
On average, a consumer will read about 3-5 blogs or articles before they think about making a purchase. Reading that content will help the consumer decide whether or not to trust the brand. That being said, the written content that the brand posts has to be good in order to connect with their audience. So, a content writer’s job is extremely important.
Content writing is not like other types of writing. It’s not even like other types of marketing. In this post we are going to talk about the importance and fundamentals of written content for content marketing.
Types of Written Content
Although written content is just one form of content marketing, there are also multiple forms of written content as well. Each type can promote your brand in a different way, so you can choose each one to serve a different purpose. The following are different types of written content:
- Articles
- Blogs
- eBooks
- Emails
- Website Content
- Press Release
- Product or Service Descriptions
- Subscription Information
Being that all of these types serve different purposes, a content writer must possess different skills for each one. But in general, for all types of written content there is a set of rules that all creators must follow, and those are considered the basics.
Written Content Basics
The following are basic steps and tips that you can follow if you are new to writing content.
Planning
The first step to creating written content is to plan. What do you want to achieve? What do you want your end result to be? How often will you be producing content and what types will you be producing? All of these questions are very important to answer before you start your process. Next, you can move on to your research.
Research
Research is something that you can do at any point in the writing process. It is not just a one and done thing because the more research that you have, the better off your writing is going to be. A lot of people like to begin the research process even before planning. That is completely up to you and how you operate, but for the purpose of breaking written content down into simpler terms, if you are new to writing content we suggest that you plan first. That way, you know what you want to write about and so you can narrow down your topics to research.
The most important thing to understand when you are researching is what type of content you are going to write. That way, you know the reason you are writing it. For example, if you are researching to write a blog post, you know that you are not directly going to write about your product or brand. Rather, you are going to connect with the audience by sharing knowledge on something related to or in support of your product. But, if you are writing a description for another piece of content that you produced, like a video, that is going to be a short piece of writing more directly describing what your other content is about. It is all dependent on what you are looking to produce.
Writing
Once you are past the research stage, you can move onto the writing. This is obviously the most difficult and important part of producing written content. You want to take your time when writing your content, and be sure to read it over. Make sure that your writing makes sense, there is a clear goal, it is easy to understand, entice your readers from the very first line, include visuals, etc. Take your time before you post your content.
What Do You Do Then?
You may be wondering, what happens after I produce my written content? Like any other forms of digital content, once you are finished and happy with your content, you can post it. Check in once in a while to see how your post is doing. Interact with your audience and answer any questions or comments that they may have. Keeping up with the progress of your content writing is important so you can see if there is anything to need to change in the future. It will also deepen the connection with your audience if you check back and interact with them.
If you find that written content works well for your brand, you should continue it and add it into your marketing plan.
Conclusion
Content writing is a tried and true way to connect with your audience and promote your brand. There are so many forms of written content out there everyday that you may not even realize is content marketing, but it is. Take your time to learn more about writing content and what it can do for your brand.
We hope to have helped you understand a little more about content writing. If you have any questions,