Effective content writing requires several different elements to be at play. Planning, monitoring, researching, editing, and the eventual writing come to mind. Content writing can span a host of different applications, including scripts, whitepapers, magazines, books, etc.
It typically has one or more long term goals in mind, and by using engaging and valuable content, interest can be generated for the strategic objectives at hand.
Unfortunately, a myth has existed for a long time that the discipline boils down to nothing more than writing articles. If that were the case, well-researched whitepapers would have the same effect and weight as advertorial copy on the same topic.
The process that goes on behind the scenes, including the analytical and language consideration aspects, separate content writing from other variations of written pieces. Understanding what content writing is and how it works is one thing, but what makes it crucial in the current digital age?
Why Content Writing Matters?
The rate of the emergence of technological innovations has reached a fever-pitch more astoundingly than it ever has before. One of the advantages of that is the ability to reach an audience in ways that were previously nothing more than a concept.
If there are any doubts in your mind about the relevance of content writing, consider that the discipline has not disappeared or diminished in any sense as new technologies and avenues for communication come to light. Instead, the domain’s potential continues to evolve, and it currently stands as one of the most sought after careers where millennials are concerned.
Nothing compares to the effect that high-quality and engaging content has on your intended audience. Consistency is another essential part of the equation, as it contributes significantly to your brand development. This is especially true if you can maintain a consistent message across the different communication channels you have with those who consume your content.
Remember that when done well, content writing has a sound strategy at its core. Therefore, there should be a clearly defined purpose behind the information that goes out across the said channels. While it may not all say the same thing at face value, every informative piece has its part to play in a long-term strategic puzzle.
If you can consistently deliver unique and valuable content to your audience, your business is undoubtedly going to benefit. Imagine being able to create a pseudo-relationship with various potential and existing clients without the need for any cold calling, door-to-door marketing, or anything of the like.
That’s not to imply that content writing renders marketing irrelevant. It does quite the opposite by providing a vital function to supplement your marketing efforts in a less aggressive and more informative manner.
What Benefits Can You Expect from Content Writing?
1. Client Retention
Creating new client relationships is always a plus, as it has positive implications for any business’ profitability and performance. However, retaining the said customers also deserves a tremendous amount of focus. One of the best forms of marketing for any business is that which comes from a satisfied client.
This is the type of person who had a more than pleasant experience with your business and has chosen to Inform others about it. There are likely even to be recommendations on your behalf.
Creating this customer satisfaction level doesn’t always require excellent interpersonal relations, after-sales service, service recovery, SLA delivery, etc. Sometimes, the content you deliver is where the difference lies, so you must understand the nuances involved in top quality content creation, and you must also appreciate and integrate the entire strategic process.
2. SEO Friendly
There’s no such thing as useless content when the writing process is carried out well. However, it can feel that way when no one sees the pieces that writers have spent the time to labor in getting through. The level of competition for eyes on the internet is higher than it has ever been. Realistically, that means there’s a lot of content out there. However, much of it is barely viewed, and cases exist where the content has never been viewed at all.
Even an interested audience is not going to go through a series of hoops to find your content when alternatives are showing up much quicker. The said alternatives may not have the same quality standard as yours, but getting lost in the shuffle means no one even sees your content to make an informed decision on which is a more complete experience.
It’s why SEO goes so seamlessly together with the content writing discipline, and some would even say it cannot survive without it.
There is also the matter of having a deeper understanding of the decisions that are going to yield a higher ranking in the listings. For example, you would need to know that keyword stuffing is not the same as an SEO strategy.
Was there a keyword analysis to determine which terms are the most highly searched? Was there a competitor analysis completed to evaluate the strategies used by those you are up against? How are the required keywords used? Is there consideration for the fact that a video accompanied by written content automatically ranks higher than it would on its own?
Learning the best SEO strategies comes with the territory, and when well-implemented, it can make the difference between a terrible engagement metric and an outstanding result.
3. Establishing Your Business
Take a moment to consider the Amazon shopping experience. There’s an interesting concept known as uncertainty avoidance that reveals itself on Amazon almost daily. The e-commerce giant uses a well-designed review system to help buyers decide on a product based on the past experiences and sentiments of those who have purchased the product before. Fewer mistakes are made, and consumers get to avoid post-purchase dissonance this way.
The uncertainty avoidance comes in the form of shoppers who refuse to be the first to try an item. If there are no reviews, a potentially fantastic item gets glossed over by many. People prefer to understand the implications of the choices and commitments when time or monetary investments must be made.
Your content is that window into your product/service that people need to understand why it is worth their investment, regardless of whatever form that may come in.
This is a fourth wall break if you’ve ever seen one, but here you are viewing a piece on what makes content writing so important. This is your attempt to understand what value the whole process holds and what impact quality pieces from Clever Creative Content can have on your strategic objectives. This entire read is one of your windows into what we can do.
The content you choose to have completed for you also aims to create interest in your offerings in the same manner, regardless of if those offerings are nothing more than words.
4. The Benefit of Sharing
When content is of stellar quality, the chances of getting to the “commonly shared” phase are exponentially increased. People enjoy reading or viewing the things that pique their interest engagingly and authentically. Once they finish consuming the said content, if it made enough of an impression, the chances are that it’s going to be shared too.
Many businesses have started relationships with new clients because of the advice that older clients or other captivated people have given. Recommendations come in different ways, and many of them are entirely unintentional. Nevertheless, they can all have a positive impact on your business.
5. Link Generation
This is where your Search Engine Results Page (SERP) rating gets the boost it needs. When other content creators are of the impression that your content is well put together and meets the required quality standards, links come into the picture, and they are also great for improving your engagement rates.
When people start mentioning and creating links to your content, it has tremendous performance potential for you, and it may even mean that your reputation as an “authority content” provider either begins to manifest or becomes cemented.
Final Remarks – Consider the Implications of the Reverse Side of the Coin
Until now, an extensive time has been spent highlighting the elements that make content writing important from a positive light. Another indicator of content creation’s relevance is how all this could affect you on a more negative note. All you need to do to understand this is consider the other side of all that has been said.
Without a well contemplated and implemented content strategy, whatever you put out stands a chance of falling completely flat. Destructive content is a very realistic thought. It is an intimidating one, but one that you must remember to make avoiding it a possibility.
What happens when it starts costing you clients instead of retaining them? How about a disregard for or improper understanding of SEO requirements rendering your content to an electronic no man’s land? Have you considered how you could establish your business in a bad light? Did you know that people are even more likely to share negative experiences because they elicit stronger emotions? What does it say for your reputation when the backlinks start coming from the wrong places?
There’s a lot to ponder here. If nothing else, it means you must take the initiative where your content is concerned. That may mean bolstering your knowledge of the area or bringing professional content creators into the mix.
