How to Produce Quality Content When You Can’t Write So Good
Everybody knows that content is king in our fast-paced digital world. People’s attention is increasingly hard to get and hold. But, what if you’re not completely confident in your writing skills? That’s OK. The smartest English professors may not be the best content producers, and vice-versa.
So, how do you get that coveted content-based conversion? Fear not, there are ways to get unique, engaging, search-engine-optimized content even if your writing is less than Hemmingway-esque.
1 - Brainstorm With a Single Word
If the words don’t flow forth from your fingers as fluently as you’d fancy, it’s time to find some better-qualified help. Portent’s Idea Generator is a Godsend when you simply can’t think of anything. Type in your noun of choice, and it comes up with a title for you. It’s helpful for getting the creative juices going.
2 - Outsource
The easiest and most obvious way to enrich any blog or E-commerce site is to hire someone else to do it. That may even free you up to work on other aspects of the site. This doesn’t necessarily have to mean employing a full-time writer, either. Even on limited budgets, there are ways to hire freelancers that specialize in any niche.
LinkedIn is one of the best-known professional resources, and they have their own freelance search engine called Profinder. Upwork is also an incredibly popular way to find experienced freelancers. Then, there are the old standbys: Twitter, Craigslist, and Facebook. You’d be surprised at the number of well-qualified people you can find to write for you.
3 - Blog
There are numerous high-quality blogs out there that don’t have stellar writing. Blogs tend to be more conversational, so if you can at least tell an interesting story, people will tune in. People will also forgive some sloppy grammar here and there if the message is personal. Getting personal allows passion and emotion to come out naturally, and readers connect with that intimacy. At the very least, hire an editor. Once you have your story or idea, start writing it. And don’t worry about grammar or commas, that’s the proofer’s job.
4 - Invite Guest Bloggers
In 2014, Matt Cutts, Google’s former head of web spam, wrote that guest blogging was dead. Later, many people saw the May, 2017 warning from Google, about article campaigns. This created a panic of sorts that guest blogging might hurt your site’s ranking, but that concern has been largely put to rest. Google’s intention was to dissuade bloggers from abusing the technique merely for SEO, but using it is fine. In fact, having guest bloggers is not only a way to boost your content, but it’s also an excellent way to increase exposure, credibility, and yes, search rankings. Assuming that the content is legitimate and it follows the Big G’s linking and keyword rules, it’s another good arrow in the marketer’s quiver.
5 - Interview Others
This old journalist’s trick is sort of an amalgamation of both the previous two tips. Find an expert in your subject, ask them engaging questions, and your content is written for you. It’s also an easy way to increase your perceived authority and credibility. Do a few interviews with major authorities and your reputation as an influencer increases. It’s a great strategy for time management as well. If you use interviews as part of a series, you only need to write the bulk of the questions once. Talk about ROI.
It’s also easy to incorporate these interviews into a social media campaign. Find a key quote from the subject, and tweet it. Or, use it as the hook to lure readers into the site. Be sure to always link back to the full interview. It’s clever from a marketing point of view too, since the interviewee will probably publish it on their social media and backlink it on their site as well, effectively doubling your exposure and reach.
6 - Utilize Alternate Content
Depending on your subject, you can also rely heavily on images, infographics, or lists instead of just the written word. Using compelling images is an important bit in the SEO toolbox. It also makes your site more engaging. People like to look at images. Jeff Bullas, considered the #1 Global Content Marketing Influencer, says that Articles with images get 94% more total views. Images are also a good way to break up a wall of text, saving you from writing more.
The human brain likes its shortcuts and processes visuals faster than text. That’s why we tend to love infographics. A good infographic boils down complex data into manageable, visually digestible information. They’re also linkable, easily shareable, and should be a part of any content strategy.
Remember that short attention we spoke about? No? It’s up top, in the first paragraph. Lists, and their cousin the listicle, are easy-to-write and Google loves them. Google favors keywords in subheads over other places. For the reader, they provide scannable answers to questions quickly and easily. You’re probably skimming this list right now. Buzzfeed, probably the most successful purveyor of the listacle, logs seven billion views a month. Clearly, people really want to know which Disney character they are. Like the infographic, they are effective and simple to tweet, like, pin, and share. If you can create a timely list like this, all the better.
7 - Don’t Write At All
According to Entrepreneur, one in four people listens to Podcasts. The human voice is a powerful tool. It conveys passion and emotion better than static words on a screen ever could. Podcasts are cost-effective and simple to implement. All you need is a decent microphone and audio editing software. Audacity is free and easy to use.
For the listeners, podcasts offer convenient, on-demand material that they can listen to anywhere without interference. More importantly, they’re available where people want them. According to Pew Research, 77% of Americans own a smartphone, and the rise of connected cars that can stream audio is expected to skyrocket. Good thing too, as Americans spend over 100 hours in the car commuting. This is a captive audience that is primed and ready for long-form content.
To extend the reach of your podcast, socialize shareable media like pull quotes, images, and soundbites across Twitter, Insty, and your blog so it can be shared and embedded to extend reach. For SEO, be sure to add metadata to intrigue prospects listening to other podcasts in your niche. Also make sure to distribute it via RSS feeds and email blasts, and submit it to a podcatcher.
8- Use Video
Done well, video is an incredibly valuable tool. First of all, customers love watching video. In their State of Video Marketing Survey, Wyzowl had this to say: “Where both video and text are available on the same page, 72% of people would rather use video to learn about a product or service.” Google itself says that “Over 50% of internet users looked for videos related to a product or service before visiting a store.” A 2014 study showed that one minute of video is worth 1.8 million words. Now, 2014 is practically the stone age in internet time, but even if only half of that is true today, it’s still a sobering figure.
Search engines love video just as much. The 2013 Hummingbird update from Google gives priority to websites with video content. Not convinced? Check out Insivia’s Video Stats for 2018.
9 - Engage Your Users
It’s time to put the “social” in social media. Meaning, your content should be a two-way street. People liked to be spoken with, not spoken to. Fun fact: in 2013, the New York Times’ most clicked piece of content wasn’t some hard-hitting exposé, or a huge political scandal blown wide open. Nope, it was an interactive quiz.
At the beginning of the article, I mentioned that content is king. Actually, Bill Gates said that in 1996. Now, marketing expert Jeff Bullas says that interactive content is the new king. Quizzes, polls, and other types of active content that get your audience to actively participate with your site makes them stay longer and be more likely to share your content.
It also helps your bottom line. A Demand Metric Survey showed that “96% of study participants believe that content interactivity impacts buyers’ decisions as they go through their journey.”
The more you can learn about users’ preferences and tendencies, the more you can produce content that is tailored to your target audience. The best way to get that info? Ask them. Polling readers and asking question creates a sense of community.
Give these tactics a try while you work on your writing. For one, it will significantly diversify your content offerings. But also, keep a close eye on your analytics. Chances are, you’ll see upward spikes in key attributes like your SERP rankings and reach, as well as your clicks and conversions. And all without writing the great American novel.