Just a few short years ago we found ourselves at a cross roads in the Digital Marketing field. As a Freelance Writer with a background in the SEO, PPC, and Social Media Management field I was faced with a choice while being led down the path of black hat marketing, and it was one that ate at me until I didn’t have a choice but, to walk away from that position because, my morals, and values were to strong to stay at that company another second longer.

At this stage of 2015 we find ourselves outlining the future of content marketing in a way that it has yet to be mapped out. Each person that you will speak with in your search for a content writer will probably tell you something different, and the reason for this is because, at the end of the day each writer is uniquely themselves. They all have their own style, they all have their own method, and last but, not least they all have a different background where very few of us actually come from the SEO, and Internet Marketing field itself anymore.

When I made the choice to keep doing what it is that I realized that I loved to do, and branch out on my own I knew that I was different than the majority of my local competitors in the sense that I actually came from an SEO background. When I say that it is rare, I truly mean that it is rare, and what I have otherwise come to realize is that my talent is raw, and unique which makes what I am about to say make a lot more sense when you look at the path that is being set in the field for what it truly resembles.

1. Content Marketing Is Becoming Direct, and Personal: Companies all across the world but, Predominantly in the United States are beginning to understand the necessity of quality again. Loyalty, Dedication, Hard Work, and Passion are all being rewarded again after years of what once use to be the fundamentals of a successful person or, company being ignored. Maybe one to many people finally got burned, and said enough is enough but, regardless change is occurring, and the effect that it is having is that it is causing millions of people to start their own businesses with the foundation, and character traits being that of Honesty, Transparency, and Building Relationships again, through good character.

2. Clients Want A Writer Who Isn’t Afraid To Let Them Direct or, At Minimum Be A Part Of The Process: When the process of billions of layoffs and company closures began in the United States back in 2007 / 2008 and going into 2009 that caused financial ruin for billions of people what ended up happening is billions of people who had been loyal, faithful, hardworking, and dependable for however long felt as though they were robbed of a part of themselves. Many lost out in ways that they choose not to talk about, many lost homes, their families, their careers, possessions, etc…and what ended up happening was they were left out. In making the choice to begin their own business they have found themselves in a position where they feel as though they are in control again, and giving that control away is not easy, finding the ability to trust is not easy, and yet there is still a part of them that wants to. Their business, their website, their blog, whatever it is that they are producing or, selling – it is their project, it is their creation, and therefore, unlike their superiors of the past, this creation has become a way of re-gaining the control that they lost once upon a time, and therefore they want to be a part of the process. A good content writer will understand this, not get frustrated over the process, and work with their client to produce quality content that fits their clients goals.

3. Visuals Are Key: In today’s society what we find happening is that visuals are becoming vital. Stock photos are everywhere, and yet hard to find at the same time. A quality content writer will know where to obtain those stock photos legally, and produce you with imaging that will gain the attention of prospective clients.

4. Size Really Does Matter (At Least In This Case): We live in the information age. In a time when people search the web for information, and are more timid of trusting anyone information is how a business proves their credibility in todays online market place regardless of whether you are selling a product or, service. Size matters – Content needs to be reliable, informative, and filled with SEO in order to gain the attention desired but, how does one accomplish that while capturing, and retaining the attention of the client / potential client. Size matters, and a good content writer will know just how to start this process off, and finish it in a way that will lead to the growth of your business.

5. Location, Location, Location (It Isn’t Just For The Real Estate Market Anymore): When I began taking a new approach to this site around May of this year one of the things that I quickly discovered is that my choice to target my Metro Atlanta Freelance Writing base was the best possible choice that I could have made at the time. When I began targeting that base of clients I was suddenly gaining more exposure than ever before, and although I am glad that I did that because, I discovered the latest trend in the freelance writing industry what I realized at the same time was your target audience works the same way. The location of your business is going to begin to matter a lot more than it ever has in the past as people are beginning to support local businesses again in a way that they haven’t done so since the 1950’s.

2015 up until this present day has taught me a lot as I have watched the trends, and learned from them. I know more lessons will come however, in the content writing, and content marketing fields even more changes are in store for the next year, and beyond. These are changes that I definitely look forward to as I enjoy challenge, and enjoy continuing to research, and learn about the growing trends but, I do find myself concerned for those who are seeking out content marketers, and even content writers as change is not easy for many, and if old ways continue to be utilized as these changes occur it will be the clients that suffer.

SEO will not be going away – if you as a prospective client ensure one thing in your hunt for a content writer make sure that it is that whomever you choose has a background in SEO as that is what will benefit you more than any other tactic out there.

]]> https://embewrites.wordpress.com/2015/09/29/10-content-writing-tips-that-are-actually-beneficial/ 10 Content Writing Tips That Are Actually Beneficial: In today’s Content Marketing world there https://embewrites.wordpress.com/2015/09/29/10-content-writing-tips-that-are-actually-beneficial/ Tue, 29 Sep 2015 14:00:00 +0000 10 Content Writing Tips That Are Actually Beneficial:

In today’s Content Marketing world there are so many tips and tricks. We live in a society that is information based therefore, when people come to your website they want to see information that will help them 1) Choose your service or product or 2) Learn how to do it on their own if their finances are tight.

After spending the last several years working in the Internet Marketing including SEO, and PPC Advertising fields what I have come to discover is that everything connects, and you can not have a good content writer in your hands when they do not know or, understand the first thing about SEO or, Keyword research. It takes a combination of all categories to understand what needs to be placed in a companies content for their website or, blog, and therefore it is crucial that whichever content writer that you choose be knowledgeable of SEO, and Keyword research before you hire them.

A Freelance Writer That Knows What They Are Actually Doing Will:

2. Proactively Research – Research is a part of the content writing process that goes highly underestimated, and under performed. Those who do not make an effort to disclose, and inform that research is a heavy part of their service are not worth your time. Although a multi million dollar business may be nowhere in your spectrum what you do want to see in order to be successful is your website or, blog at the top of Google, Bing, and Yahoo where it can be found easily by potential customers, and clients. In today’s market a content writer may be stumbled across, and although they may write a great article, website or, blog post for you if they haven’t realistically loaded it with the right keywords that target your client focus, goals, and overall business in various capacities that website, blog, and article will very likely not be found to the degree that it would need to be in order for you to reach your goals.

3. Keep Records & Ongoing Notes – One of the things that I find myself doing consistently is taking notes. Example #1 – If I am on the phone with a client I constantly have a notepad with me in order to write down the key things that we have discussed during our conversation. It is not abnormal for me to even say the words “Hold on just a minute because, I am taking notes.” This does not bother clients but, in-fact makes them feel much more satisfied because, they know that I am taking this seriously. Great customer service is a choice – do not give them any unnecessary reason not to be, and what you will find is the more effort, and quality that you put into even the very early stages of your business relationship, the more satisfied they will be in the end. Listening is an art. Utilize it – it leads to happy customers. Example #2 – When a client has paid me for my services, and I find myself beginning the research phase I spend what most would consider to be an abnormal amount of time researching the topic at hand. I do this for several reasons but, they all go back to the same principal which is Quality. What I have found over the years is clients are willing to be patient in order to see valuable work that gets them moving closer to their goals – after-all what is a successful business in today’s age without a well written, and informative website?

4. Write In A Conversational Tone With Their Own Unique Voice – Freelance Writers consistently work towards goals themselves, and one of the hardest facets to navigate in their journeys is the art of writing in conversational tone that has a success rate. Passion is the foundation but, success comes through the talent, and the right tone can be the hardest facet to come to terms with, and get a grip of. My suggestion to others is to take their time, and don’t force it. It is also important to note that this is where all of that research comes into play.

4. Stay On Point – Believe it or not it is very easy to lose focus and veer off into a different direction when writing website content, blog posts or, articles. When this happens open another document or, take out your future article / post list and add the idea to the list with any reference material that may be applicable that sparked the thought. This may not be the post for it but, that does not mean that it wouldn’t be a great post for the future.

5. Be Creative & Unique – Boring and Mundane doesn’t get anyone very far today. For as much respect as I have for my very first employer one thing that I was never able to get through his head until it was far to late was that basic does not cut it. In his case he had a website with over 100,000 products listed. I created, and maintained that online catalog for him, I did the marketing for that website, and the reason why his major competitor out beat him time, and time again was because he choose to not compete. His major competitor had Part Numbers, Product Names, Photos, Full Product Descriptions, Compatible models, and stock information just to name a few things while he on the other hand only wanted to list the very basics of the Product Names, and Part Numbers. Do not think for a second that I did not use that compatibility list for my own benefit as I created, and maintained that list for him because, I did. He might have been to stubborn for his own good in some ways but, I wasn’t about to spend 20x the amount of time on that catalog than I needed to. Writing is the same way. The more creative, and unique that content is the more interest that the writings will retain, and continue to gain over time.

6. Make The Opening Sentence Superior – Creating intrigue in a reader is known to be one of the best if not the best way to grab a readers attention. By creating a sense of wonder, and question that is intriguing you are building interest that keeps them interested in continuing forward.

7. Create A Leading Introductory Paragraph – As described above the more that you create interest, wonder, and question the longer those who have come to your website, blog or, landing page with the reading material in question will stay, and remain. By building interest through creative, and unique content you are showing that you know how to catch their attention by providing quality through knowledge which will build their trust in your product or, service at the same time.

8. Keep It Realistic, and Honest – Although fantasy may seem tempting, quality is built on morals, values, and an honest approach that is realistic. Creative Writing, and Unique Content do not have to be based off of fantasy but, can in-fact be based off of reality, and will build more of a realistic trust from potential clients at the same time.

9. Close With A Punch – Although many say that ending with a sales pitch is the only way to go more realistic studies place the product or service in question in a friendly tone, and feel as though it speaks for itself given the information provided above. Based on my 12 years of experience – this exact method is the one that I have found works best as well. Sometimes it is all about trial and error depending on your target audience but, hitting already interested clients with a hard sales pitch tends to turn people off more, than making them act. Friendly conversation with a little persuasion however, pushes them further into your direction where you will reap the benefits more realistically.

10. Walk Away, and Then Come Back To Edit – Once the content for your website, blog or, article is finished in the rough draft portion what I have personally learned to do is walk away, get your mind away from it, and then come back, and begin to re-read, and edit as you go along. Walking away clears your mind, it enables you to re-focus, and de-clutters your mind in order to re-focus on the edits that will need to be made with a clear head.

Although every website, article, and blog post that needs to be written is unique, and different (hopefully it isn’t being stolen through other source) the fundamentals all remain the same, and can benefit the blog, website or, publisher in various ways.

With 12+ years in the industry at this point, creative freelance writing isn’t just my passion but, it is what I do, and I enjoy having the opportunity to assist others with their projects. If you have happened to come across this while searching for an Atlanta Freelance Writer or, a Freelance Writer that assists clients all over the US then please feel free to check out my portfolio page, and pricing page for more information.

Who, What, Why, Where, When; plus the sneaky ‘H’ — How.

Who is the story about?

What is the main point of the story?

Where did the story take place?

When did the story take place?

Why is the story important?

How did it happen?

Fast forward some years (more than I’d like to admit), and I still use this formula when writing content. The only difference is the definitions of the above have been slightly tweaked to suit blogging and long-form articles.

By applying the 5 Ws (and the one sneaky H) you too, can generate engaging content for your brand.

Who

Who is your target audience? Who will be reading your blogs and articles? Who is affected by this topic? Who will benefit by reading this article?

Knowing who will read your content helps enormously when it comes to style and key messaging. It will also help determine what type of language to use. (e.g. If you are writing for a technically minded audience, you can probably use a bit of industry-jargon, whereas if you are writing for the lay person, you would consciously avoid jargon and technical terms).

What

What are you writing about? What are the key messages you want to get across?

When you understand the key messages your article or blog needs to convey, your writing will become more concise and to the point. No one likes to read articles that waffle on and end up saying very little.

Where

Where will your blog or article be published? Will it be in print or electronic form?

Having an idea where your piece will end up and the format it will take should give you some idea of your audience and will therefore help you target the piece. Knowing your reach (and who they are), will also help when it comes to promoting your own work via social media.

When

When will your article be published? Will it coincide with an event/launch/season?

Knowing when your article is due to be published will also help you come up with content. For example, some publications have longer lead times than others — (i.e. magazines and journals often plan three to six months ahead). Keep this in mind as you write. While you may be writing an article during summer, the content required may be winter-focused.

Why

Why are you writing your blog? What do you hope to gain from publishing your piece? Why is the topic important?

Do you want to increase awareness of a particular cause, showcase your business/talents or do you want to generate more business? Having a clear idea of what you want your writing to achieve will ensure that you write it with the end in mind. There is no point writing something simply for the sake of writing.

How

While the question of ‘how’ is slightly less important, it’s still worth considering.

The ‘how’ of your content may be one of a few questions:

How will the reader benefit from this content?

How are you going to promote your piece?

How can you leverage this piece of writing to generate more clients/customers and brand exposure?

So when you plan out your next blog post or article, ask yourself the 5 Ws and that sneaky H, and see how your content will benefit.

If you are wondering whether your business needs a blog, there are 4 things you must consider before going ahead.

If you already have a blog, and would like help planning and writing for your business, please contact us. We would love to work with you.

Cheers

Nerissa

The vibrancy of the youth ‘Prithvi Raj’ playing the role of Krishna, in the upcoming movie ‘Syamanthakam’ directed by Harharan. The film spins round the story from Mahabharatha about the disputes and arguments put forward by Lord Krishna and Sathrajith regarding the most precious stone ‘Syamthakam’.

The movie depicts Krishna as a supreme ruler, an eternal devotee and a philosopher. The role of Sathrajith is played by a Bollywood actor, yet, not revealed. The significant roles of the film are played by the viral actors and actresses of various film industry, including the role of Rukmini, Balaraman, Satyabhama, Jambhavan, Jambhavathi  etc.  This role is going to be a challenging role in Prithvi raj’s career. It is also talked that Syamthakam is going to be the most expensive film, in the Malayalam film industry. So do the people expect, much from the film, touching all areas.