Content Strategy Tips - Owned vs Rented Land
On our brand new YouTube Channel, Jeanne shares her thoughts on Joe Pulizzi's famous quote, "Don't build your content house on rented land" - as well as why you should actually have a strategy for sharing content on 'rented land'.
What Is "Owned" and "Rented" Land in Content Marketing?
In content marketing, we talk about owned vs. rented digital land. This is an analogy to building a house. When you build a house, you must own the land you build it on - or else the owner of the land can kick you out of the house at any time.
If you build your digital version of a house, that central place where you direct your customers, clients, and readers to, on a website you neither own nor control, you are at risk of the site owner cutting off access at any time - the digital version of a landowner kicking you out of the rented land!
I've seen this a lot with small business owners who build their 'house' or digital business presence on a Facebook page. They even go so far as to put the page URL on their signage or business cards. That's not bad, per se, but using only Facebook as your online presence is very dangerous. Facebook can at any time cut off your access to the page, shut your page down, or decide to charge high fees. If you build your online or digital presence on a website that you own or control, you're assured it will be there as long as you want it to be there.
Is ChatGPT a Threat to Freelance Writers?
By now, you’ve probably heard of ChatGPT. ChatGPT is an eerily prescient artificial intelligence program that writes natural-language responses based on prompts typed in by a human user. Rumblings were heard in the marketing world about ChatGPT as far back as November, but few marketers took it seriously until it burst on the scene through demonstrations in December. By January, it was on the agenda for the world leader’s forum in Davos, Switzerland, and now the conversation around ChatGPT has escalated to a fevered pitch.
Here are our thoughts on ChatGPT and its future in marketing.
Will ChatGPT Replace Human Writers?
Not any time soon.
I admit it; I tested it. I gave it the same prompts as a client gave me to write articles for their newsletter, and while ChatGPT did write serviceable, grammatically correct text, the text itself was lackluster. It lacked personality. In fact, it read like a cobbled-together version of the top search engine results for that particular topic - and that’s because it did indeed pull phrases from top results, revise them a bit, and present it as fresh copy.
ChatGPT Cannot Reflect Brand Tone and Voice
The biggest limitation of ChatGPT today for marketing is its lack of brand tone and voice.
A fellow CMO and I sat down together on a zoom and tested ChatGPT. We tried to have it write sales copy for his company’s flagship software product. ChatGPT produced descriptions of the software, but it could not inject the quirky, specific language used by his target audience. He markets the software to a specific type of engineer, and the AI program did not have the wherewithal to change language, tone, and voice to reflect the language and vocabulary preferences of the target audience.
The other drawback was the complete lack of brand voice in the final document. Brand voice refers to the specific language used in marketing communications that enhances a company’s overall branding. What you’re reading here, on the Seven Oaks Consulting blog, reflects our tone and voice: authentic, expert, and warm. ChatGPT writes grammatically correct copy, but it lacks the nuances of expression of human-written content, and hence cannot encapsulate the brand tone and voice of any business (yet).
What Can Marketers Do with ChatGPT?
We’ve successfully used ChatGPT to write quick definitions of simple terms for glossaries and to write “prompts” for longer articles and blog posts.
For example, I asked it the question, “What is content marketing?” and this is its response:
Content marketing is a strategic marketing approach focused on creating and sharing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience — and, ultimately, to drive profitable customer action.
The result is grammatically correct – and 97% plagiarized from The Content Marketing Institute.
We can certainly use AI for starting information, but trusting it to write original, unique, and correct copy is foolhardy.
It’s a smart machine. It can produce results from scouring the web, and it can display the results according to its algorithm, programmed with the rules of correct English grammar, but it cannot “think” through what the audience wishes to know, nor can it create engaging, original text like a good copywriter can create.
What Is the Future of ChatGPT for Marketing?
Microsoft hopes to disrupt the search market by rolling out ChatGPT as an alternative to Google Search. A subscription-based model is the most likely revenue source, but will users be willing to pay for ad-free ChatGPT results to avoid the ubiquitous phalanx of ads in Google search?
For marketers, I believe ChatGPT has a place within your content marketing team.
- Use ChatGPT as I did, above, to find the best definition. Run the definition through your favorite plagiarism-detection software (we used Grammarly) to find the source, and then cite the source of hyperlink to it. It’s faster than reading through multiple web pages.
- Create prompts by using a question generator such as “Answer the Public” and then use these in ChatGPT to build out a starter prompt for your content writing team. Such prompts are useful to help writers conceptualize a topic. They can then add their own unique spin or research to the topic to build the appropriate content piece.
Despite the hoopla and jitters among many writers we know, ChatGPT is nowhere near ready to take over our work. There’s still work aplenty for skilled writers, copywriters, and editors. Only we can infuse words with brand voice, tone and style; only we can creatively spin a tale that engages and inspires readers to take action. Machines may, someday, be able to do this, but that day has not yet arrived.
Why Avoid Jargon in Communication?
Why should you avoid jargon in communication?
If you goal is to cultivate relationships with customers, avoiding jargon in your company’s communications is essential.
Jargon in Communication Creates Confusion
Have you ever visited a company website, read the “About Us” page, and shook your head in confusion about what that business was all about? When that happens, it’s frustrating, for sure.
I don’t know about you, but my record for clicking away from pages like this is 100%. I don’t want to guess what the company does or what it can do for me.
Jargon. Not a Fan
Researchers at Ohio State University conducted a survey to find out what happens when online readers are exposed to jargon. Study participants were asked to read only a few paragraphs about surgical robots and self-driving cars in simple terms. A second group read three paragraphs on the same topics; this time, the text included specialized jargon.
The group exposed to jargon in communication was given definitions for all the terms. However, by the time they were finished reading, they felt disengaged. They said they didn’t like what they were reading and even argued against what was in the text.
Conversely, the group that read the plain-language text felt more empowered after reading their paragraphs. They were more likely to say they understood what they read. This group considered themselves knowledgeable about the topic.
Talk to Your Customers, Not at or Above Them
The Ohio State University researchers found that even when the study participants could access definitions for the jargon by holding their mouse over the words, they still reacted negatively.
What can you do with this knowledge?
Understand that customers want to deal with companies that talk to them in “their language.” They distrust a business that speaks to them over their heads, even if it provides explanations. If your customers can’t trust your marketing message, getting them to buy from you becomes much more difficult. Jargon in communication decreases trust.
No one suggests you “dumb down” your marketing message for your customers. That’s insulting to you and them. Just ensure your message doesn’t score too high on the jargon meter, or you could unknowingly be driving potential customers away.
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Content Creator Success
Our thoughts on being successful as a freelance writer, content creator, or independent contractor.
Being a full time content creator is hard work. If you imagine that content creators sit around all day in their pajamas binging on Netflix, think again. Whether you’re a freelance writer, an independent contractor, or run your own content platform - content creation is hard work!
Most Businesses Fail Within the First Five Years
It’s a sad fact of life, but statistics show over and over again that most startups fail within the first five years. The main reason cited: lack of capital. But a lack of capital always points to deeper issues: high costs, not enough new business, lack of repeat customers, and so on.
Our business is content creation. And, we’ve been successful at it for over 15 years. This October, Seven Oaks Consulting celebrates this milestone with a series of posts, articles, and more sharing the lessons that we - the entire freelance team - have learned from our combined years of providing freelance services.
In this post, I asked each of our contributors to share their thoughts. Everyone participates differently as a freelancer with Seven Oaks Consulting. Some are marketing analysts (Katie), editors (Kathleen), executive assistants (Atricia), or web designers (Zachary). The majority of our team, however, consists of freelance writers. Whether that’s your interest or other independent contractor or freelance work, we hope that these thoughts inspire and motivate you so that you too can celebrate 15 years of successful freelancing!
Successful Content Creators and Freelancers: Thoughts from the Team
Aditi Chordia (Freelance Writer)
I have been freelancing for over two years and writing for 4+ years. I don’t see myself as successful yet; I have a long way to get there, but what I learned in the last couple of years is that as long as you’re working on your skill, honing and sharpening it, and chasing projects that make you grow as a writer, the more ‘success’ or ‘value’ you can attach to yourself as a freelance writer. To be a successful freelancer also means to be a good entrepreneur. Set up solid systems and processes for onboarding new clients, hiring subcontractors, accounting, project management, client communication, etc. Lastly, don’t be afraid to burn some cash in the beginning. Whether it’s to run ads, get a website done, hire subcontractors, or pay for tools, you will have to risk spending money for long-term gains.
Atricia Doyle-Plummer (Virtual Assistant)
Although I am not a content creator, I’ve been a full-time freelancer for about 1 year and 9 months. I’ve learned that as a freelancer, it’s always good to be open to learning new skills as well as improving on the ones you have to offer to clients. Always ensure that you communicate with your client so they can be up to date on the progress of their project. Always ensure that you understand what the client wants you to do before you agree to take on a project. It’s also good to be organized so you can ensure that you are completing the client's work on time. Do not be afraid to network and surround yourself with like-minded people who are in a similar field or are on the same mission as you. In the same way, Amazon, Aliexpress, eBay, and other large companies promote their business daily, don’t be afraid to promote yours.
Christopher Iwundu (Freelance Writer)
I have been a freelance content creator for about 5 years. I would say that continually improving your craft and building a network are critical to success. Freelancing is not a solo journey. The people in your network will help your journey through motivation, collaborations, information exchange, outsourcing etc. Also, freelancing can be a full-time job and is overwhelming. You’ll end up handling marketing, accounting, client management etc. Set up processes and systems to help better manage your business while keeping you healthy mentally. Furthermore, build a personal brand. It can be having a personal website or building on LinkedIn, Twitter, or any other platform of interest. Discover where your ideal clients are and build there. Finally, always ensure project details are clearly communicated and documented (a brief) before starting on the project and always revisit the brief to ensure you’re on track.
Katie DeVries (Marketing Analyst)
As an independent contractor, I believe it takes self-motivation, discipline, and setting boundaries in order to be successful. I’m also a strong advocate for overcommunication - rather than assume, it’s always best to kindly confirm what task is being requested. You’ll never regret double checking but chances are, if the final product doesn’t land correctly due to miscommunication, you’ll always regret asking a few additional clarifying questions. And lastly, it takes time to build trust between co-workers—regardless of whether it’s remote or in person—and part of building that foundation is being responsive, completing tasks on time, and having the willingness and patience to learn as you go.
Kathleen Marshall (Editor)
I’ve been freelancing since 1996, and in that time I have found that to be a successful freelancer, you need to continually sharpen your skills and have no fear of learn new ones. The marketplace is constantly changing; things you specialize in now may be less relevant in a few years. And being irrelevant as a writer is a death sentence. Flexibility is vital, and isn’t just limited to your skillset. You also need a degree of flexibility with your clients. Don’t be a doormat, but be open to new things and new types of clients. Twenty-five years ago, I never would have dreamed of working with the types of clients I have now, and they continually challenge me to keep growing.
Jodee Redmond (Freelance Writer)
I’ve been freelancing for more than 20 years. I’m not an “arteeste.” My job is to give my clients what they want. I check my ego at the door when I’m at work. That doesn’t mean that I’m a pushover, though.
There are no “big” clients or “small” clients. All of them are created equal. I give each assignment I’m given my best effort. If the topic doesn’t seem interesting at first, I find something interesting about it so the reader will be able to find something interesting in the content, too.
Laura LaFrenier (Freelance Writer)
I have been a freelance long-form content writer and short-form copywriter for over two years now. I do not consider myself to be an expert by any means and I am always looking for ways to improve my craft. Networking is an important step for any freelancer or solopreneur, as it allows you to connect with and learn from others with similar interests and ambitions. Freelancing is never one-size-fits-all, and it is important to do what you feel is best for you. Don’t be afraid to try new things and always make a continuous effort to work on your personal growth.
Lucy Klaus (Freelance Writer)
I am new as a content creator and writer but I enjoying the challenge. I draw on my years of experience to write about topics that mean something to me. The best part is being able to write when I feel inspired. That is the key to success, writing from experience and inspiration.
Sharon Wu (Freelance Writer)
After freelance writing for 8 years, I’ve learned the importance of clear and timely communication between all parties for a successful partnership. A writer is only as good as the client makes her - the client must equip their talent with what they need to produce stellar content so they aren’t in the dark wondering how to meet expectations. I also discovered that it’s much easier to become an expert in something when you niche down. When I first started, I would take on any and every writing job thrown at me. This ranged from blog articles, to website content, to social media copy, to product descriptions. After dabbling in all of these, I found that I excel in and enjoy blog writing. Crafting long-form articles comes more naturally to me. So, I decided to grow my freelance writing business capitalizing on this.
Zachary Keys (Web Designer)
I have been a freelancer for 4 years. One of the biggest lessons that I have learned is to accept and welcome critiques. In order to improve and get the job done right, I’ve had to learn to take a step back from my work and encourage criticism from clients to help fine-tune projects and accomplish goals. Another thing that has helped me is using tools to keep track of communication and projects. Since a majority of the work is remote, it is important to stay in touch with clients and team members and I had to adapt and start using different tools in order to do so. The last lesson that I’ve learned is to network! I’ve been able to grow as a freelancer through referrals and connections and it is important to always priorotize each client to keep up good relations.
What Do You Think It Takes to Be Successful?
What qualities do you think it takes to be a successful content creator, freelance writer, or independent contractor?
The Dangers of Article Spinners and AI Content Generation
There are many dangers of article spinners that the average small business owner may not realize.
Article spinners are artificial intelligence or AI platforms that imitate the techniques of human copywriters. Instead of creating fresh content, article spinners copy work from another source. They change words, sentences, paragraphs and even a whole article with synonyms and similar phrases to make it look like another person’s work is technically a new copy. For instance, a sentence like this, "I was extremely exhausted at the end of the day,” could be interpreted by an article spinner as, “I was very depleted by the day’s end.”
Dangers of article spinners - Bots Can't Write
From the above example, it’s clear that the quality of article spinners doesn’t compare to well-written human copy. These AI-based tools produce work that doesn’t read naturally due to poorly constructed sentences and lots of grammatical errors. But that doesn’t stop content creators from using the multiple rewrites from article spinners to try and build as many backlinks as possible and outrank their competition in SERPs.
Reduced Visitor Conversion Rates
Article spinners look like the perfect shortcut for people who'd rather not put in the work and develop unique content for their websites. But these AI software tools create low-quality articles that are often unreadable. With such poor quality, spun content can increase the bounce rate on a website and reduce conversion rates.
Spinners Are Automated Plagiarism
Using article spinners is like duplicating another person’s material, which is unethical.
Free article spinners heavily plagiarize original content. That’s because these tools pull existing work rather than creating content from scratch. Plagiarism is a serious red flag in copywriting. Once your audience discovers you duplicate content, their trust in you and your brand quickly goes down the drain. And so do promising leads for your business. Worse still, it’ll only be a matter of time before Google catches up with you.
Google penalties for duplicate content include burying your search rankings. Given that most internet searches happen on Google, it’ll be hard, if not impossible, for customers and prospects to find your business online. And with your sudden online disappearance, consumers looking to purchase the goods or services you provide won’t hesitate to go to the competition.
Why Article Spinners Can Never Replace Actual Content Writers
Understandably, there’s been concerns that AI will fully replace human writers at some point. AI can do incredible things, such as mimic copywriting skills and churn out content fast. However, it can’t master the art of emotional storytelling. Article spinners are simply unable to create conversational, funny, engaging, and relatable content. These, among other limitations of artificial spinners, make them less effective than real copywriters and gives humans a huge edge.
Given all the dangers of article spinners mentioned in this article series, what's your take on AI content writing and AI writers?
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Why Article Spinners Will Never Replace Writers
AI-generated content is increasing in popularity, as more companies are now using article spinners to create content faster and in a shorter amount of time. This number is bound to grow, as per Statista, and the global AI software market will reach $126 billion by 2025.
Various software programs in the market can help you create content quickly; some can even rewrite or paraphrase text, such as article spinning tools.
Are Article Spinners Useful For Content Marketing?
An article spinner is a software tool that rewrites or paraphrases the input text while keeping the original meaning intact. This results in a distinct article with the same meaning as the existing text.
While article spinners can be helpful to ramp up content production and meet the continuous demands, they don’t come close to the original, research-backed, and comprehensive pieces that are written by a demonstrated expert.
Here are three reasons why article spinners will never replace creative content writers.
Article Spinning Tools aren't creative
Creativity is inherent to us. It comes from our experiences, memories, and emotions and cannot be replicated and automated by software. Content written by humans has the power to inspire, motivation, and entertain, which is difficult for AI.
At best, the automated software programs can take a chunk of text and convert it into a semi-coherent and legible piece of writing. Still, they cannot duplicate the way writers process the language and come up with ideas or words that strike resonance.
Article spinners Cannot Write A Lengthy, Coherent Piece Of Text
Article spinners can do a decent job producing short-form pieces, but they cannot create cohesive, engaging, and meaningful long-form articles that are often used in content marketing strategies.
A good long-form strategy involves neck-deep research, laying the groundwork, composing sub-sections, and ensuring structural flow in the article. AI struggles to connect the dots and often does not have the required knowledge on various topics to build a solid, valuable piece of writing.
Definition: Article Spinner
An article spinner is software that paraphrases or rewrites the original text often by substituting synonyms for words.
Article Spinning Tools Cannot Add Variety
Sometimes short sentences work better. Sometimes longer sentences establish a better flow and rhythm to keep the readers hooked. The automated rewriting tools cannot vary the sentence length or change the flow to make the article engaging.
Of course, you can program style guides and tone into AI tools, but for that, too, you need a professional writer.
AI Cannot Replace Marketing Writers
While AI has come far and is now integrated into all spheres of our lives, it still has a long way to go in replacing the originality and creativity of experienced writers.
Rather than looking at AI as a replacement, it’s more useful to look at it as a guide or aide that can help marketing writers to research faster, structure sections based on SEO suggestions, and automate repetitive tasks in content marketing as and when required. But the actual job of writing should be left to the experts in the field.
More free marketing education resources
A Creative Content Writer Is Irreplaceable
Nothing can replace a creative content writer, a marketing writer who hand-crafts unique content.
In a world where we are used to shortcuts, it’s no surprise that article spinners exist. While they can save users time writing fresh content from scratch, they don’t come without drawbacks. Even with innovative technology coming out in efforts to make life easier, creative copywriters are here to stay for the long haul.
How Do Article Spinners Work?
An article spinner repurposes existing content without paraphrasing. For example, you may have an article for your company blog that you want to publish on other mediums to increase traffic to your website. Using an article spinner to recreate a similar piece is an inexpensive way to achieve this. If not done right, though, it can get you into big trouble.
Search engines punish websites with cross-published identical content. The problem is, most businesses don’t want to spend time rewriting articles. They want a shortcut - and an article spinner is just that.
Article Spinners Ruin SEO Efforts
Though made to be time savers, article spinners come with a host of problems. They produce low-quality content that is difficult to understand. The whole point of search engine marketing is to provide quality content with which visitors can engage. Article spinners do the exact opposite. Low-quality spun articles will not hold a viewer’s attention, resulting in increased bounce rates.
The Verdict: You Need a Creative Content Writer
Marketing writers are here to stay, no matter the AI-driven technology. Creative, relevant content is irreplaceable because:
Every Brand Is Unique
Article spinners don’t take personality into consideration when refreshing articles. In contrast, a skilled copywriter produces content that is natural and conversational, rather than robotic and monotone. This is crucial for search engine optimization. A well-written article encourages an audience to interact. In turn, businesses reap the benefit of more organic traffic and sales. Establish authority and get on Google’s good side by sharing made-from-scratch content.
Quality Content Drives Better Leads
Word of mouth has been one of the most effective ways of marketing. When people like what they see, they’ll spread the word to their network. Similarly, top-notch content marketing encourages high-quality clients and sales. If visitors find your article easy to understand and packed with value, they may share it on their social channels. These shares are powerful because they could reach prospective clients.
According to a study by BrightEdge Research, 65% of online experiences start with a search engine. This is impressive, considering HubSpot reported an average of 2 trillion Google searches each year! It has been proven that going the extra mile to make sure your content is unlike any other pays off.
Invest in the Best Content You Can - Because It Pays Off in ROI
In life, you get what you pay for. If it sounds too good to be true, it most likely is. Poorly written content is more detrimental to your brand than having no content at all. Instead of spinning content with software, hire a marketing writer to create authentic content. It goes a long way in sparking discussion and building a community!
At Seven Oaks Consulting, we curate top-notch content that will boost your search engine ranking and drive new traffic to your website. Our team of creative content writers offers unique, search engine optimized B2B content. Contact us to learn more about our copywriting services!
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Digital Content Strategy Hacks
Your digital content strategy doesn’t have to reinvent the wheel. One of the most persistent fallacies in content marketing is the belief that a website always needs a ‘steady stream of new content’ in order to educate, inspire, and motivate customers to take action via a content marketing campaign.
While it is true that frequent website updates appeals to Google’s search engine algorithm, that does not mean continually searching for new ideas and creating brand-new, from scratch content each time you wish to publish. To create a digital content strategy, you need one solid idea that supports your marketing goals and appeals to your target market.
Reuse, Repurpose and Recycle Your Best Ideas
Reuse, repurpose, and recycle applies to content marketing as well as to thrifty living. Here’s how “thrifty content marketing” can transform your approach – and significantly reduce your workload.
One Idea Can Generate Multiple Marketing Pieces for a digital content strategy
Most ideas can generate more than one content marketing piece. In fact, one idea can usually generate at least four or five.
One large topic often has multiple smaller topics hidden within it like gems in a mine waiting to be picked apart from the rock.
Let’s take a recent topic I that came my way through my bank’s weekly email to their business customers: How to Boost Business Credit. The original article published by the bankfocused on the steps a small business could take to improve its credit rating and, by extension, borrow more to fuel business growth. It was a well-written 500–700-word article, but that was it – it was one article.
It could easily have been seven different content marketing projects, each appealing to the same audience but shared through multiple marketing channels.
As a small business banking customer, it’s easy for me to slip into the mindset of their target market. This makes it an idea sample to show you what I mean by one idea fueling multiple content pieces to achieve the client’s objectives.
One Idea – SEVEN Content Marketing Pieces
Using the method my team at Seven Oaks Consulting and I use with our B2B content marketing clients, one idea can be spun into multiple content marketing pieces for a digital content strategy. One idea can be used to generate multiple content pieces along the content marketing continuum, helping to generate awareness, support customer education, and nurture the connection into a lead for business credit.
The Seven Oaks Consulting Content Marketing Process
We consider the persona, or target market, for the client’s services, asking ourselves, “Where do they go for content? Which social media platforms do they visit? How do they prefer to consume information: video, audio, or text?”
Next, we look at the tactics available to the client. Some client have multiple touchpoints established with their target market: a blog, a website, social media channels, emails. We leverage these touchpoints and may suggest additional ones for content amplification.
For the content creation process, the bank has several steps to generate a lead for its credit (loans) services:
- Education
- Awareness
- Motivation
Education comes first because most small business owners desire to learn more about the entire credit process. And, because credit is a complex and often new subject for business owners, the educational phase is crucial to the lead process. The bank wants their potential loan applicants to understand the process well before they apply for the loan. This helps the bank by saving time with customers and helps customers find the right credit source.
Awareness moves people from education (this is what business credit is all about) to “Bank XYZ offers such services.” It is moving people from the understanding of the topic into understand that Bank XYZ offers the service.
Lastly, motivation comes into the picture – motivating customers to take action and apply with Bank XYZ for credit and loans.
From our one idea, I’ve generated seven content types:
- Microblogging/social posts
- Multiple blog posts – small business credit, credit cards for small businesses, how businesses can check their credit rating, how credit ratings for businesses are calculated, what can help or hurt your credit rating etc.
- Infographics showcasing any of the ideas from the blog posts
- Case studies showing how the bank’s consultants helped small businesses improve their credit, fight credit fraud, or obtain credit
- A video of a bank manager explaining how the bank makes their credit decisions, key concepts in small business credit, etc.
- A gated white paper or longer position paper on small business credit: what businesses need to know/do
- Newsletter content based on the blog posts
Of course, the actual content deliverables depend on the desired budget, staff availability, and timeframe. Perhaps the bank wants to create all the pieces with their own marketing team. The list of suggested content pieces must be pared down to encompass the team’s strengths and bandwidth. Also, if the bank managers aren’t comfortable going on camera, the seventh idea needs to be adapted or changed. And of course, if clients don’t wish to be identified in a case study, that can limit the ability to create them.
These 7 content types can now be divided into each phase of the content marketing process:
Education
- Blog Posts
- White Paper
- Infographics
Awareness
- Social Media Posts
- Case Studies
- Videos
Action
- Social Media Posts
- Emails
Come up with one topic per month or quarter, then work it to the best of your ability. It will generate more momentum through repetition of concept and ideas. This momentum typically outweighs whatever organic SEO boost a site gets from adding unique ideas by building content clusters. Linking among similar topics on the site boosts organic SEO better than generating dozens of new ideas in the same amount of time.
With this method, executed by professionals such as my team at Seven Oaks Consulting, you can accomplish the following marketing goals:
- Build and sustain organic SEO traffic
- Build awareness for your company as an expert in a topic
- Educate potential customers
- Nurture customer relationships
- Augment and support paid lead generation campaigns
- Generate leads
Content marketing takes considerable time and effort to do right. Generating fresh ideas is one of the most challenging aspects of the content marketing process. But who says you need to have a fresh idea every day, month, or week? One idea can generate multiple creative concepts that supports marketing goals and sustains the lead generation pipeline for many B2B businesses.
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5 Things I Wish I'd Known When I Started
Ever since I can remember, it has always been my dream to become a writer. I knew I wanted to be a writer with a purpose, but I was unsure how to make that dream a reality. My lack of experience as a professional writer made becoming a freelance copywriter seem out of reach at first.
Although I was hesitant, I finally built up the courage to dip my toes into the proverbial waters. Surprisingly, the initial experience was warm and inviting, and I quickly gained self-confidence and began to acquire real-world experience as a writer with a purpose.
Here I will share with you five things I wish I had known when I first started on my journey as a freelance copywriter. I hope it will inspire others to find the courage to take that first leap.
Networking Isn't Only For Established Professionals
For an introvert like myself, the idea of networking is intimidating, and it can feel like being the new kid at school all over again. The good news is that it isn't all that bad once you decide to put yourself out there.
Fortunately, social media platforms help facilitate the seemingly painful process. For me, LinkedIn has been indispensable for establishing contacts within the world of copywriting and developing my portfolio.
Social media platforms geared towards professional development can help you discover other writers in your particular field of interest - giving you access to mentorship to help you along your journey and find your niche as a copywriter.
Be Aware of Imposter Syndrome - Don't Let It Hold You Back
What exactly is imposter syndrome? I was unfamiliar with the term until recently. Imposter syndrome is experiencing perpetual self-doubt despite personal qualifications such as education, work experience, or other accomplishments and can lead to an unhealthy degree of perfectionism.
While you should never stop striving for self-improvement, the idea of perfection can also be detrimental to your creativity. From my personal experience, imposter syndrome is real, and anyone can fall victim. Being aware of the warning signs can help you avoid this harmful thought process. Don't be afraid to celebrate your achievements and demonstrate your talents!
Copywriting Isn't Only About Marketing Trends
To be honest, I first thought copywriting was a rigid field that revolved around trends in marketing to boost profits by creating generic content based solely on numerical data. Once again, I was pleasantly surprised to find out otherwise.
I discovered that I could combine my copywriting skills with my desire to serve a greater purpose by creating socially-conscious and purpose-driven content. As a freelance copywriter, you can select to work with clients and companies aligned with your values, allowing you to make a tangible difference by reaching your desired target audiences. My work at Seven Oaks Consulting has proven to be an excellent outlet for crafting genuine content that allows me to combine the art of marketing with my passion for writing with a purpose.
Don't Be Afraid to Explore Different Markets
Copywriting can range from developing easily understood technical manuals to compelling content that inspires a particular call to action. Some popular markets include small business development, health & wellness, travel & leisure, and the financial sector, to name only a few. Finding your true passion is key to being a successful and effective copywriter, no matter your chosen niche. Copywriting is a creative art form, and having a genuine passion for your work will make a tremendous difference in your quality of writing and your ability to connect with your readers. The world of copywriting is vast and exciting, so don't be afraid to explore and try new things!
Copywriting Isn't as Competitive as You May Think
While a certain level of competition is healthy and can push you to improve yourself, no one wants to work in a cut-throat environment. I feared that the world of copywriting would be overly competitive and that you had to know the right people to be successful, particularly in a specialized niche.
Based on my recent experience, the professional writing community is welcoming and supportive. Once I started to practice my networking skills, I quickly established my presence as a novice yet ambitious copywriter who was eager to gain real-world experience. Finding a mentor was instrumental in developing my "voice" as a writer and building my self-confidence.
For me, the world of copywriting has opened doors that I didn't even know existed. Although this realization can seem overwhelming at first, it can be empowering as well. As a freelance copywriter, you have the power to evoke strong emotion in your readers and inspire real-world action in your community.
9 New Year's Resolutions for Content Marketers
Happy (almost) New Year! Do you make New Year's Resolutions? I'm actually not a big fan myself of resolutions. I always feel that every day is a fresh start. We each get 24 hours with which to make progress on all fronts of our lives - spiritual, physical, mental, personal, business, you name it.
But I know that New Year's Resolutions are an important tradition for many. In that light, I've put together the marketing manager's spin on them.
If you do nothing at all in 2022 but follow these resolutions, I can almost guarantee you a happy, prosperous, and business-filled year. Happy New Year!
9 New Year's Resolutions for Marketing Managers
Repeat after me: In 2022, I resolve to....
- Prioritize marketing over other business tasks: It's so easy to tackle everything BUT your marketing! Yes, I own a marketing agency, but before founding Seven Oaks Consulting, I founded and ran an e-commerce business. And I can say from experience that often everything but marketing took priority in my day: answering customer emails, sourcing new products, shipping orders, and more. But the longer you put off marketing tasks, the greater the risk of being forgotten by your customers. With so much competing for customer attention online and off these days, it is essential to make marketing a priority. Resolve to do at least one marketing activity each day to promote your business!
- Keep abreast of updates in my field: Whether that means listening to a podcast each week or reading emails from your favorite blogger, make it a point to learn something new each week about your chosen business field or your specific marketing discipline.
- Focus on a few tactics to do well: Some businesses try every marketing tactic under the sun, using a "throw spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks" marketing method. The result is usually an uneven hodgepodge of marketing tactics. Each method might work, but without the energy, enthusiasm, consistency, time, and measurement behind each, it's impossible to know. Instead of trying everything and seeing what works, focus on one or two marketing tactics you believe will work and try them for several months (or even a full year).
- Measure the results: Not all marketing methods are easily quantified, but most can be quantified in some way. Whenever you can, measure your marketing activities and use the data to support marketing decisions.
- Avoid one-size-fits-all marketing: Just because everyone is on TikTok (or Instagram, or running Google AdWords campaigns, or mailing postcards out) doesn't mean that it's right for your business. Always check the demographics to see if your target audience is reading, listening, or responding to a particular channel before investing in marketing activities there. Your audience may love Facebook and hate Twitter, or may be hard to attract using Google Ads but respond well to content marketing. No two businesses have - or should have - the exact same marketing strategy.
- Keep your eyes open: Keep your eyes open and start a 'swipe file', or a sample file, or marketing materials that strike your fancy. While you cannot and should not copy anyone else's marketing materials directly, use this file as inspiration to discover what you like about the marketing activity and why.
- Ask for professional help when needed: Don't try to DIY all aspects of your marketing. You can't. I've been a marketing manager for over 30 years and even I don't DIY everything anymore. Besides not having the time anymore to fuss with certain things, I know that my skills lend themselves better to some forms of content marketing (writing) and less to others (video). It's much smarter to invest my time in what I know I can do well and pay someone to do things I don't do well so that the overall end product - the marketing deliverable - is fantastic than to try to save a dime and DIY the entire campaign.
- Invest in professional development: Early in 2021, I made what turned out to be a fantastic decision for my business. I invested in my own professional development. I joined a blogging course and weekly mastermind group. And while my blog did not turn into a money making machine, it did teach me a lot about various SEO skills I lacked and helped me to focus on what produced revenue. It was a great experience and one I recommend to anyone able to invest in professional development whether it is a recorded course or a weekly meeting with a coach.
- Plan, but be flexible: Resolve to create and follow a marketing plan but remain flexible enough to "go with the flow" should the occasion warrant it. My plans evolved in 2021 but my initial focus remained the same: to build Seven Oaks Consulting into the agency of choice for expert, unique and creative content marketing solutions. This focus, combined with a flexible approach to achieving my goals, enabled me to achieve the goals I set for myself at the start of 2021. Planning, flexibility, and regular check-ins with yourself are the best way that I know of to achieve your goals, too.
2021 was a wild ride, and 2022 is also starting off a bit rocky with so many problems worldwide, including the continuing global pandemic. Through it all, one thing remains: we all wish for a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year.
So here's to your new year, and may your New Year's resolutions yield abundant results. Happy new Year!