If you’ve been active in the business world lately, you’ve certainly heard of content marketing. But what is content marketing and how do these companies have time to produce all these blogs, videos and posts on top of their already busy days?
Content marketing is simply the production of interesting content on public platforms. More than marketing, the content can inform potential clients and stakeholders about news in an industry, business or even the services you offer. In addition to telling your story, content often has secondary benefits like increased SEO, boosting overall web performance and industry thought leadership.
Keeping up on Content Creation
Businesses can struggle to create content while juggling their daily tasks. We’ve all had the CEO who promises to get his thoughts on paper, the doctor who will get you that draft over “soon” or the engineer who basically sends over a technical datasheet. It may seem that the best person to write a blog is the employee most knowledgeable on the blog topic. However, sometimes the smartest person in the room is not the best writer in the room, nor do they have the time it takes to write. That’s okay! Writing likely isn’t in their job description anyway. Assign blogging to a qualified staff member or hire an external firm instead.
Writers are trained to take what is in someone else’s head and get it on paper. Whether an internal staff member or an external writer, they can work with the expert to create clear, understandable content for your users. Because we can’t be experts on every topic (yet), we work through this process to learn everything we need to know to create clarity.
Here’s how it works:
The Interview
With a quick hop on the phone or informal interview, the writer can get all the information they need. The writer can’t be afraid to ask the difficult questions and check for understanding. Simply asking “Would you say it like this?” can prevent spreading misinformation later. The writer will work with the interviewee to understand the content wholly, even that complicated, in-the-weeds technical stuff (I’m talking to you engineers).
The Draft
Then the writer can take what they learn and write clear, concise copy that will be easy to read and digest. They’ll work with the interviewee to approve content and double-check facts, figures and voice.
The Share
Once the content is approved, get it out to the world. Start with your owned media like your website and social media outlets. If it makes sense also release to other outlets. The more people who read or engage with your content the better.
Making the time for content creation can seem daunting, but by partnering with a writer you can speed up the process and produce even higher quality content.
