Standing out in the SEO business can be tough to do if you don’t know how to go about it. Here are 5 skills that will help any content marketing writer stand out and make their job easier all at the same time!
Today’s businesses depend on high-quality content to draw consumer attention to their websites.
Content is a vital and effective marketing tool that’s used in practically every industry. And, experts suggest that we can continue to count on the value of content in marketing for years to come.
If you manage a website or have a career in marketing, you probably already know the importance of producing great content.
In 2018, Search Engine Journal released a list of the ranking factors that would matter the most in marketing. Publishing high-quality content was listed as the number one factor on their list.
Not everyone has what it takes to be a successful content marketing writer. It takes specific skills to lead the competition. When you have the right skills, writing effective content comes naturally.
Find out the skills that every content marketing writer should know to make their job easier!
5 Essential Skills Every Content Marketing Writer Needs
It’s no doubt that high-quality content can be critical to a company’s success. Recent research indicates that consumer behavior is largely driven by content-related digital marketing strategies.
For example, Forbes found that 81% of consumers’ purchasing decisions are influenced by the shared posts of their family and friends. Small Biz Trends reports that 78% of customers’ buying decisions are impacted by a company’s social media posts. And a whopping 95% of buyers prefer brands that provide content throughout the purchasing process, according to Social Media Today.
To be successful as a content marketing writer, you need to know which skills will help you produce quality content with ease.
1. Reading and Writing
You didn’t learn everything you needed to know to be a great content marketing writer in kindergarten, but it may have gotten you off to a good start. Without reading and writing skills, one’s content probably won’t get too far off the ground.
Writing content takes more than master marketing skills. Because when you write digital content, you are still a writer. Successful writers can relate to their audience. They use correct semantics and check their spelling. The material flows naturally. Readers are able to follow and understand their objective.
Often, writing coaches instruct students read the works of others. Writers can learn a lot by looking at how others engage audiences, evoke emotions, and persuade readers. This strategy is helpful to anyone wanting to improve their writing skills.
2. Search Engine Optimization
A content marketing writer isn’t like other writers in many ways. Other writers may not need any digital marketing skills. But the goal of marketers’ content is to drive traffic, boost rankings, and convert customers. To do this, you’ll need to learn how SEO works.
For anyone who produces online marketing content, the value of SEO is undeniable. Mastery of this one skill holds serious marketing power. It’s the secret behind getting links, building a follower base, promoting a special event, and nabbing sales with a seamless user experience.
SEO skills are required for any site to appear Google’s first page of results. SEO can be used in local marketing. Or, it can give international consumers access to business products or services.
You might imagine that it would take a genius to acquire skills like these. But, SEO is surprisingly simple. And, once you get the hang of it, it’s a sure-fire way for your content to get the online results most companies are looking for.
If you need SEO help, check out SEOClerks. The network offers pro SEO services for less than the cost of a latte.
3. Research Skills
If you are going to write engaging, usable content that’s directed at a specific group of buyers, then you will definitely need to have expert research skills.
Research skills benefit a content marketing writer in several different ways. First, the writer must research their target audience. Successful marketing professionals must know and understand their audience in order to create content that serves its’ purpose.
Additionally, a content writer will often research a wide range of topics and statistics for each assignment.
Then, the writer must be able to identify the most important bits of research throughout their content. And, it should appear as a natural and cohesive part of the content, while also supporting their main point.
Today, tons of research is available to everyone, about everything, thanks to the world-wide-web. But to a writer, this can be both a blessing and a curse. It requires skills to sift through massive amounts of online information to pull only the most reliable, valuable sources.
4. Time Management
A content writer usually must adhere to deadlines.
Content that is written for a client will need to be completed within a reasonable amount of time.
Content for a business site or social sharing may be time-sensitive. For example, it may be related to a specific season or limited-time promotion.
Consumers expect fresh, regular content to be published online. This is especially for blogs, e-newsletter or other content published at regular intervals throughout the week or month.
Anyone who operates by deadlines needs to be able to manage their time according to schedule. There are a number of different tools meant to help with this. Marketing calendar software, for instance is one solution. It helps you to organize your planning and record exactly what you plan to publish on each day, going as far out as you need to. This is great especially for writers that are working across multiple websites and need some way to remember when different things are due and where.
5. Creativity Is Key
In today’s professional world, competition is fierce. And, content marketing is a common strategy employed by millions across the globe.
According to WordPress, there are about 152 million blogs on the internet. And the growth rate indicates that one is created every half second of every day.
If you don’t want your content to get lost somewhere among the millions on the vast world-web, creativity is key.
A marketing writer’s content should have perfectly measured, fresh ingredients, including useful information, captivating images, and top-notch SEO. And it should be presented in an interesting and unique format.
No one wants to read boring, repetitive content, after all.
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