Toronto Content Marketing Blog

Are you writing content for people or search engines?

5/27/2014

A recent article from a site that specializes in search marketing suggested that any and all blog posts must be at least 1,500 words in length, and that poorly written content doesn't affect the end result. No link is forthcoming, because that would only be validating flawed logic.

The crux of the article is that longer articles are taken more seriously, and that people will share badly written content anyway. Which is probably true, even if it’s only being shared by snooty English majors (waves hello!) to mock content writing fail and to lament the death of language as we know it.

What is your content marketing strategy?
If your only goal is increase your search rankings, then it likely doesn’t matter if your web content is poorly written. You’re just writing for machines, so you could probably get results with a million monkeys and a million typewriters. Great! However, at last check, search engines don’t have a whole lot of purchasing power. Ultimately you’re going to want those high search rankings to lead to actual eyeballs on your site.

What will those eyes, connected to actual humans looking for competent professionals providing a product or service they’re hoping to purchase, find when they get there?

Will they see 1,500 words per corporate blog post that fill the screen a few times over, and yet somehow manage to say nothing at all?
Will they find lots of keywords but no real substance?
Will they wonder if your company would be difficult to work with because of what is, apparently, a significant language barrier?

In short, when actual people arrive at your site, will they see content that positions your business as a legitimate, professional company they can feel confident doing business with? If your content marketing strategy is built on writing for search engines rather than people, there’s a good chance they will not.

Keywords are nothing without captivating content
Of course it’s important to have content that is search engine friendly. After all, even great content is wasted if nobody reads it. It’s also important to make sure there are appropriate keywords in your content writing to make sure people find what they’re looking for when they arrive at your website, or visit your Facebook page, or browse your Twitter timeline.

But don’t stop there! Make sure a visit to your website is useful, whether or not a visitor ultimately ends up working with your company. Instead of laboriously struggling to have longer and longer posts on your company blog, challenge yourself to make a convincing case in as few words as possible. Don’t just talk about your business, talk about related services and the latest news affecting your industry.

One person visiting a website that clearly demonstrates that you know really know your stuff can turn into an actual customer. One customer is better than a million bots from a faraway land that may never contribute a nickel to your business.

The next 1,000 words or so will be spent stuffing this post with keywords to make sure it's taken seriously. Oh no wait, that’s just silly.

Writer’s Workshop: How Many?

5/16/2014

Ask Sisyphus about an amount of difficulty!

Welcome back to the writer’s workshop, a series of tips to help everyday writers sharpen their messaging. When doing your own content writing for your company website, blog or newsletter, grammar matters! You don’t have to strictly adhere to the AP Stylebook, but by sidestepping some of the more common errors your writing will be more polished and professional.

The Difference Between Number and Amount
Number and amount are commonly misused words that are often considered interchangeable. They are not. “A large amount of people” is frequently used like it's something that makes perfect sense, even in professional journals and newspapers. But it is not a large “amount” of people, it is a large number.

Here’s why:

Amount is used for things that cannot be counted, like a large amount of difficulty.
Number is used for things that can be counted, like a large number of people.

When in doubt, use a simple pneumonic like “amount can’t count” to help you keep it straight. We all have our Achilles’ Heels in writing. Secret: Mine is the dreaded comma splice. I know it’s wrong, I know why it’s wrong, and yet I do it anyway. All the time! If confusing number and amount is a mistake you make often, run a quick search for both words when you are finished writing your piece. Make sure they are used correctly and correct as necessary. Eventually it will become second nature.

Perfection is not the goal, and it shouldn't be it be. You can’t turn every blog post or web page into your magnum opus – you have a business to run! However, you can make sure your content writing consistently improves as you learn and grow as a writer. Check back soon for another tip to tighten up your writing.

Evaluating Your Social Media Efforts

5/12/2014

There are a lot of great reasons to use social media for small business. The one that immediately springs to mind is marketing to a new audience. That leads to an approach that is very focused on numbers. How many people Like your Facebook page?

How many Twitter followers do you have? Are you engaging your colleagues on LinkedIn? Those are all things to consider when evaluating your social media presence, but what else should you keep in mind?

Don't Evaluate Social Media Success on Audience Numbers Alone
Perhaps the greatest function of a social media presence for your brand is the ability to connect with your customers, your peers, and members of your industry at large.

Having 1,000 Facebook likes seems great, but if you’re not able to “talk” to someone who has a real question about your products or services, it’s not a terribly effective measure of your social media efforts.

If you focus solely on the numbers, then you might miss the great sense of community that can come from a small but loyal following, and that would be a shame.

Grow Social Media Following Organically
Remember that point, lo 10 seconds ago, that said don’t focus on the numbers too much? That doesn't mean don’t focus on them at all. Talking to yourself and the Twitter account you set up for your cat probably isn't the greatest use of your time, so you’re going to have to spend some time growing your following.

Virtually every social platform offers some sort of premium service that promises to do just that for you. But those are often expensive and the effectiveness of the resulting fan base is suspect.

Go ahead, use fertilizer in your garden. But when it comes to growing your following on social media, you might find organic is the way to go. Do the time, talk to the people who engage with you. Thank new followers and those who re-tweet your content on Twitter. Acknowledge every post on your Facebook wall, with a thank you if you can or just a click of the Like button if you can’t. Keep in touch with your peers and former colleagues on LinkedIn to do more than ask them for favours after you strike out on your own.

Growing your social media presence organically takes longer than running a campaign on Facebook or promoting a tweet, but it keeps you closer to the very people you’re trying to reach. If you find it hard to grow a social medial presence AND your business, consider engaging the services of a company to help connect with your following – NOT a click farm - a business that specializes in creating meaningful relationships on your behalf.

Where to start?
There are dozens of social media properties and hundreds of services to monitor your reach on those sites. But when you’re just starting out, your time is limited and sometimes so is your budget. Start one social media account for your business, preferably on one you already use a lot in your personal life. You’re familiar with the site’s layout and can capitalize on your connections to get a head start on building your following. Then, when you’re ready, add another one.

Make a note of your web traffic the day before you share a link on one site, and then wait a day or two before sharing it on another. See which has the greater impact on your web traffic and then focus your efforts on that site. Wash. Rinse. Repeat.

Getting attention and building a community for your business using social media doesn't have to be exhausting. You really can do it one day and one post at a time. If you need further guidance to get started, you know who to call!

Are you writing content for people or search engines?

Writer’s Workshop: How Many?

Evaluating Your Social Media Efforts

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