So what makes a good content writer? And what does an experienced content writer or copywriter have to say about pricing, original content and good old-fashioned bull and bluster? I’ve been in this game for a quite a while now and there’s always a few things that I’m happy to clear up.
Category: Uncategorized
If you’re an SME food/drink producer, the chances are you don’t have a lot of time to devote to marketing. But yet you already know how crucial content marketing is. And you need to start with your blog! Here’s four ways to kick-start your content marketing drive without spending too much time or money.
Is there an end to this content marketing drive, you wonder? Now you’ve been advised that you need a video for your website. You can understand the value of it and you want to write a video script but need to get a handle on what it is and how to do it. While putting together a few lines for a 30 second or even one minute script sounds easy – it’s not. Take your time and keep these tips in mind when writing your first video script.
Tax accountants – understand one thing. For the most part, we know very little about what you do and we depend on your knowledge and insight to handle the awful job of the tax return. Well, we have a rough idea – like when you need to change the oil in your car but it always makes a lot more sense to get a professional to do it. Your insight and experience is worth it – pure and simple.
In the third blog in this series, we look at content marketing options for Irish SMEs in the tourism and hospitality sector. If you run a pub, B&B,hotel, restaurant or other small tourism business, ask yourself….what makes us different? If you sell holidays or destinations or beautiful meals or great nights out, you sell the biggest product of all – a unique experience. So, what content works and what doesn’t for hospitality and tourism marketers?
My mobile rang last Wednesday evening. ‘I got this postcard from you’ the voice said. It was a freelance web designer who needed a copywriter. ‘So what?’, you’re thinking. Well, the fact is I sent that postcard three years ago and this is the third query I got in the last six months even after getting a 25% response rate first time round. What was so special about this postcard?
Every digital marketing training course you attend and every search specialist you talk to, is telling you the same thing. Google loves unique, helpful digital content. To score high in the rankings you just have to create it. But if you’re a sole trader/very small business in Ireland, you want to know exactly how to do that. If you’re hard-pressed for time, consider my approach to creating quality content ….and have plenty of time to run your business too.
You might have already read our first tip for creating Google-friendly content. If not, go back and have a read now. But today, we want you to answer another question for your next bout of blog inspiration.
Tip #2 – answer this….
- What do your customers ask you every day?
And just like our last post, we’ll give you a few real life scenarios…
- You run a garden centre and at the same time every year, you’re asked the same questions. From potato blight to the plum tree that only fruits when it feels like it, you always know the answers. Make a note of the most common questions. And your next blog might be…How to grow a perfect lawn in our Irish climate.
- You build energy efficient houses and friends are always looking for advice about insulation and energy ratings. Make some notes and write a blog like this…. ‘Ensure your home is airtight by next winter and save money too’.
- You’re a butcher and if you hear another horsemeat joke, you’ll close up for the day. You know you source your animals from local farms and they’re processed by proven abattoirs with strict operating policies. Your next blog? How supplying only local meat means everybody knows what they’re buying.
Your customers are your greatest resource in more ways than one. By showing you understand their concerns and answering those concerns in a coherent manner, you’re continuing the conversation in an online format. Creating content is easier than you think. If you need a hand writing the blogs, I can certainly help – just get in touch.
It’s alright for them, you’re thinking – with their big office in Dublin and ten-person marketing department. Just ‘create unique, useful content for Google’, they say. If you’re a sole trader or a very small SME, you know you have to create new digital content but finding the time seems impossible. How do you do it quickly and easily?
A bit like professional cycling, doping was once endemic in SEO web content and copywriting. The demise of keyword stuffing and a crackdown on high levels of keyword density in the last 18 months has levelled the playing field and those trying to do the right thing are now getting the rewards for their efforts. Ok – stuffing your content with keywords and stuffing your veins with EPO is not exactly the same thing (c’mon, I’m looking for a hook here)…but still….if you’re juicing, you’re losing.
One glance from across a crowded shop-floor and you knew it was over before it even began…..
Ever been putty in the palm of a salesperson’s hands? Be honest now. Do you remember that time you bought something really special? You were happy to spend a few quid extra because you knew it would last. And then they approached….