Category Archives: Content Writing

Do you still need a content writer or a copywriter in the era of ChatGPT?

Can ChatGPT completely replace content writers?

Clients are increasingly asking whether I use ChatGPT to write articles and blog posts. It shows that they are aware that lots of content and copy are being written using ChatGPT.

Of course, the clients who think that ChatGPT is good enough for them, don’t contact me.

Those who contact me despite the fact that they know what ChatGPT can do, fall into two categories:

They cannot figure out how to use ChatGPT to get content they’re looking for.
They think that machine-written content cannot equal human written content in terms of quality, personal touch, styling, and relevance.

Some clients don’t care whether I use ChatGPT to write their content or do it myself as long as they get high quality content for their websites and blogs.

Some want me to use online tools like GPTZero that claim to recognize ChatGPT-written content.

Online content writers and copywriters like me have always had to face certain challenges.

Even before the arrival of ChatGPT, there was competition from writers who charge extremely low. They can’t deliver quality content, but those who don’t want to pay for quality content, are not looking for quality content.

The problem is, although most clients know that there is no escaping from publishing high quality content for desired results, they cannot distinguish between quality content and mediocre content unless they have worked with multiple content writers and copywriters to compare.

The same is happening with ChatGPT. Media articles are claiming that tools like ChatGPT may replace millions of jobs in a matter of months.

Washington Post recently published an article ChatGPT took their jobs. Now they walk dogs and fix air-conditioners. The article references many companies, including media agencies, that fired their content writers and copywriters because now they can use ChatGPT to quickly generate content and copy.

The article discusses how ChatGPT is taking over high-paid writing jobs and forcing people to switch carriers. It features the stories of former writers who have lost their jobs to ChatGPT and now working as dog walkers and plumbers.

Does ChatGPT actually write better content?

Does ChatGPT write better content than a content writer?

Better than most content writers? Yes. Better than better content writers? Depends. Better than exceptional content writers? No.

When you ask ChatGPT to write a blog post, there are no spelling and grammar mistakes.

If you’re looking for straightforward content and copy, you can depend on ChatGPT for your regular content needs. The writing is straightforward, but it is a lot better than most content writers.

It even emulates the way humans write. It can write in conversational style. It can use action and power words. It can write compelling headlines. It can divide your content into various sections, subsections and bullet points.

It doesn’t write like an individual.

As is the case with the tools like GPTZero, one can make out if the text has been generated by ChatGPT.

There is nothing wrong in that. As long as the information is being presented in a manner that people can understand, you can write complete blog posts and articles using ChatGPT and your readers may not even realize that.

Before Google launched its own AI tool Bard, which it had to rush because of ChatGPT, the search engine was quite cynical about machine-generated text. Reluctantly, Google may have decided not to penalise text generated by AI tools like ChatGPT and Google’s Bard.

But it is not confirmed. Google is known to penalise machine-generated content, and this is one of the biggest reasons why many clients are shying away from solely using ChatGPT to generate content.

Also, ChatGPT is biased. It’s opinions, if at all it has some, are based on the biased data being fed into the system by its programmers. Therefore, if you want to write something that goes against what has been fed into ChatGPT, you won’t be able to write it.

Coming back to the quality of content written by ChatGPT.

It doesn’t write like “me”, but it writes fairly well. The sort of content I have seen content writers writing, they can no way match ChatGPT.

Fortunately for content writers like me, content isn’t just about information, because, every average content writer can compile information.

Content is about engagement. Engagement comes from the way you write.

Every writer has his or her own unique style. ChatGPT cannot emulate Charles Dickens or Salman Rushdie, or a copywriter like David Ogilvy.

It can write like a teacher. It can write like a school student or a college student. It can write like a journalist. But it struggles when it comes to writing like a copywriter.

Whether it can establish an emotional connection, depends on what you call emotional connection.

My clients hire me because they love my writing style, and they want the same type of writing for their websites and blogs.

As a content writer, if they think that ChatGPT can replace me, then perhaps, I’m not writing the sort of content I’m supposed to be writing.

Does ChatGPT worry me?

If I’m lazy, yes, it worries me.

If I provide something unique that cannot be provided by ChatGPT, then I’m not worried.

How is a human content writer different from ChatGPT?

How is a human content writer different from AI?

Remember that ChatGPT cannot give you what it doesn’t have.

For example, if you want ChatGPT to write something about what’s happening in 2023, it tells you that it can give you information based on what it knows up till 2021.

Although it can present information, it cannot form opinions.

It cannot be creative. It cannot be original. It can only deal with information and data that it has.

Again, although it can dig up information among terabytes of data, it cannot do in-depth research. It cannot draw inferences. It cannot understand the context for different pieces of information.

It cannot adapt to different writing styles. If you want to write content for different target audiences, it is difficult to achieve that through ChatGPT.

Another thing that I have noticed in ChatGPT is that after a while, it keeps repeating the same phrases, expressions, and words. A human content writer doesn’t do that.

How I’m using ChatGPT to write content faster for my clients

ChatGPT enables me to work faster.

Do I use ChatGPT?

Yes, I do.

I use ChatGPT to quickly create outlines.

Here is an example:

I needed to write a blog post titled “10 ways the latest GPS technologies are helping logistics companies”.

Up till recently I needed to spend lots of time gathering all the important points. Now, the basic information is provided to me by ChatGPT.

For example, it creates a bulleted list of 10 different ways the GPS technologies are being used by logistic companies.

I don’t need to accept all the suggestions. In fact, if I don’t like some of the suggestions in the outline, I can ask ChatGPT to generate 10 more ways the GPS technologies are helping logistics companies.

I use ChatGPT as a quick text generator. I create an outline. Within a few minutes I have an idea of what I’m going to write about. I can generate all the points. After that, I need to expand upon those points.

Then I write the content in my own words.

I also use ChatGPT to extract important points from links.

Take for example, I want to know the main takeaway is from the above-mentioned Washington Post article.

I can use the following prompt on ChatGPT: “Create a 100-word summary of the article on this link [mention the link]” and it quickly creates a summary for me and then I can decide whether I want to read the article further or not.

As mentioned above, I use ChatGPT as a content writer to create an outline and even to create a rough draft. So, 50% of my job is done within five minutes.

With all the right information available to me, I start rewriting the stuff in my own language, with my own discretion, in my own style.

I shorten the sentences. I simplify the language (which, ChatGPT often seems unable to do). I rearrange the information according to the required flow. I research and add new information. I make sure that the information is easily readable to the target audience.

I let ChatGPT do the grunt work. It gives me ample time to use my creativity and writing experience to write better content.

The same applies to copywriting. It can quicky generate copy, but the real impact can only be made by a human copywriter.

How to use content writing for brand positioning?

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The importance of content writing in brand positioning.

When it comes to building a strong brand and brand positioning, content writing plays a crucial role.

Content writing is all about creating valuable and engaging content that resonates with your target audience.

By crafting compelling stories and messages, you can effectively communicate your brand’s unique value proposition and position it in the minds of your customers.

Through content writing, you have the power to shape how people perceive your brand and differentiate it from competitors.

What is brand positioning and how is it achieved through content writing?

What is the meaning of brand positioning and how content writing helps you.

Take for example Nike. It is a well-known brand in the sports industry (mostly known for selling shoes).

Everybody knows “Just Do It”. This phrase, through content writing, inspires and motivates individuals to push their limits, overcome obstacles, and achieve their goals.

This is their brand positioning.

Although they are selling shoes, they don’t want you to buy their shoes just for wearing them. They want you to buy their shoes to excel in life. This is their brand positioning.

Nike constantly reinforces the empowering narrative through telling stories of real athletes who have faced challenges and triumphed. This is achieved through content writing and other media.

When you think of Nike you think of a brand that has positioned itself as someone who stands for athleticism, perseverance, and personal growth.

Whether the right content for blogs, video scripts, or social media campaigns, their content writing strategy reinforces their brand position and strengthens the relationship with the target audience.

Another company that is quite famous for its brand positioning is Apple.

Apple is known for its slick designs and user-friendly interfaces whether it produces iPhones or iPads, or other gadgetry.

Through their content writing, Apple consistently focuses on highlighting the seamless integration of the products and the exceptional user experience they offer.

The content consistently emphasises the power of the technology to enhance and simplify everyday life.

There positioned their brand as a company that offers cutting-edge technology with a touch of luxury. Yes, this is expensive gadgets but the target audience knows that it gives the values it pays for.

Through content writing, they create the overall perception of a brand that sets trends and delivers products that seamlessly blends style and functionality.

Similarly, Google has positioned its brand as the go-to search engine to such an extent that “googling” has become an action word.

When your business is known for something, when it instantly evokes an emotion that is consistent, it has achieved it through strategic brand positioning.

Why is brand positioning important?

Why is brand positioning important

There are different mobile phones. There are 10 major mobile phone brands in the US. Through clever brand positioning, Apple has gained 57.75% market share in the US.

Somehow Apple has convinced people that owning an iPhone increases their prestige. This is brand positioning.

There are different beverages. According to 2021 figures, Coca-Cola had a market share of 46.3% in the US while Pepsi had a market share of 25.6%.

People like Coca-Cola taste. They want to be seen drinking Coca-Cola. This is brand positioning.

Here are a few reasons why brand positioning is important to your business.

Differentiation

It helps your brand stand out from competitors.
It creates a unique identity and personality for your brand.

Targeting

It enables you to focus on specific customer segments.
It helps you tailor your marketing efforts to reach the right audience.

Competitive Advantage

It gives your brand an edge over competitors in the market.
It highlights the unique value your brand offers to customers.

Clarity

It provides a clear and consistent message about your brand.
It helps customers understand what your brand represents.

Customer Loyalty

It builds trust and emotional connection with customers.
It encourages repeat purchases and long-term relationships.

Pricing Power

It allows you to command premium prices for your products or services.
It positions your brand as a high-quality and desirable option.

Brand Equity

It enhances the overall value of your brand.
It increases customer perception and preference for your brand.

Communication

It facilitates effective communication with customers.
It ensures your brand message resonates with the intended audience.

Consistency

It helps maintain a consistent brand image across different touchpoints.
It ensures that your brand remains recognizable and memorable.

Business Growth

It drives business growth and market share expansion.
It attracts new customers and creates opportunities for expansion.

Imagine you’re at a store, surrounded by countless products.

Suddenly, you come across one that immediately triggers something within you.

You feel a sense of familiarity, a sense of trust, and you know it’s the one you’ve been looking for. That’s the power of brand positioning.

By crafting a unique identity and showcasing the value your product brings, you’re not just selling a physical item, you’re forging a lasting connection that sets you apart from the competition.

Strategic Content Writing for Effective Brand Positioning

Strategic content writing for effective brand positioning.

Understand Your Target Audience

You need to understand your target audience to create compelling content writing.
Research their demographics, preferences, and pain points to tailor your brand positioning.
Get insights through customer surveys and social media analytics for effective content writing.
By understanding your audience, you can align your brand positioning through content writing.

Define Your Unique Selling Proposition (USP)

Discover and define your Unique Selling Proposition (USP) for effective brand positioning.
Highlight the key features, benefits, or qualities that make your brand unique in your content writing.
Communicate your USP clearly to showcase your brand’s value through content writing.
Your USP plays a pivotal role in content writing for effective brand positioning.

Craft Engaging Brand Stories

Engage your audience by telling compelling stories about your brand.
Share your brand’s journey, vision, values, and mission in a relatable manner through content writing.
Connect with your audience emotionally and make your brand memorable in your content writing.
Incorporate personal experiences or testimonials to add authenticity to your brand positioning.

Consistency in Brand Messaging

Maintain consistency in your brand messaging across all content writing efforts.
Develop a brand voice and tone that resonates with your target audience.
Ensure consistent messaging in your content writing to reinforce your brand positioning.
Consistency in brand messaging is crucial for effective content writing and brand positioning.

Conduct Keyword Research and SEO Optimization

Conduct keyword research to understand the language your target audience uses in content writing.
Incorporate relevant keywords naturally throughout your content writing for improved SEO.
Optimize meta tags, headings, and descriptions to enhance your brand’s visibility in content writing.
Strategic keyword usage in content writing contributes to effective brand positioning.

Leverage Various Content Formats and Channels

Experiment with different content formats, such as blog posts, videos, infographics, and podcasts.
Tailor your content to different channels, including websites, social media, and emails, for effective brand positioning.
Explore diverse mediums to reach and engage a wider audience through content writing.
Utilize content writing to repurpose and republish your valuable content across different channels.

Enhance Content with Visuals and Multimedia

Use visually appealing images, videos, and graphics to enhance your content writing.
Incorporate infographics or charts to simplify complex information for your audience.
Create interactive multimedia content that encourages engagement and sharing in your content writing.
Visuals and multimedia amplify the impact of your content writing on brand positioning.

Provide Valuable and Actionable Information

Deliver valuable insights, tips, or industry knowledge through your content writing.
Empower your audience with actionable steps they can take from your content writing.
Position yourself as a reliable source of information in your content writing for effective brand positioning.
Valuable and actionable content writing establishes your expertise and strengthens your brand positioning.

Encourage Audience Interaction

Encourage audience interaction through comments, shares, and likes in your content writing.
Prompt conversations, ask questions, and seek opinions in your content writing to engage your audience.
Respond promptly to audience comments and messages to foster a sense of community.
Content writing that encourages audience interaction strengthens your brand positioning.

Personalize the Content Experience

Tailor your content writing to cater to the specific needs and preferences of your audience.
Use a conversational style, addressing the audience directly as “you” in your content writing.
Offer personalized recommendations or solutions to your audience’s challenges in your content writing.
Personalized content writing establishes a strong connection and reinforces brand positioning.

Leverage Social Proof and Testimonials

Showcase social proof such as testimonials, reviews, and case studies in your content writing.
Highlight positive feedback and experiences from satisfied customers through content writing.
Incorporate user-generated content to demonstrate the impact of your brand in your content writing.
Social proof and testimonials enhance your brand positioning through content writing.

Monitor and Analyze Performance

Continuously monitor and analyze the performance of your content writing efforts.
Utilize analytics tools to track engagement, conversion rates, and other metrics.
Identify top-performing content and replicate successful strategies in your content writing.
Data-driven decision-making based on performance analysis improves brand positioning through content writing.

Collaborate with Influencers

Collaborate with influencers to expand your brand’s reach through content writing.
Engage influencers in guest posts, sponsored content, or social media collaborations.
Partner with complementary brands for co-marketing initiatives in your content writing.
Collaborating with influencers strengthens your brand positioning in content writing.

Embrace Continuous Learning and Adaptation

Stay updated with industry trends and incorporate them into your content writing.
Invest in continuous learning to improve your content writing skills.
Adapt your content writing strategy based on audience feedback and changing preferences.
Continuous learning and adaptation contribute to effective brand positioning through content writing.

By implementing these strategic content writing tips, you can enhance your brand positioning and create a strong connection with your target audience.

The following will strengthen your brand positioning:

Understand your audience.
Define your USP.
Craft engaging brand stories.
Maintain consistency in brand messaging.
Conduct keyword research for writing content.
Leverage content formats and channels.
Enhance your content writing with visuals.
Provide valuable information consistently.
Encourage audience interaction.
Personalize the content experience.
Leverage social proof.
Monitor performance.
Collaborate with influencers.
Embrace continuous learning.

Do you need personal brand positioning?

Personal brand positioning.

Personal brand positioning refers to how you present yourself to the world, showcasing your unique qualities, expertise, and value.

It’s about crafting a distinct image and reputation that sets you apart from others.

Just like a business brand, you have your own story, personality, and skills that make you special.

Personal brand positioning is all about leveraging those strengths and communicating them effectively to others.

Listed below are some benefits of personal brand positioning

Establishes you as an authority in your industry through effective brand positioning.
Differentiates you from competitors in the crowded marketplace.
Builds trust and credibility among your target audience.
Attracts new opportunities and partnerships through strategic brand positioning.
Increases visibility and recognition for your personal brand.
Helps you connect with like-minded individuals and build a strong network.
Boosts your professional reputation and opens doors to career advancements.
Allows you to command higher rates and fees for your services.
Increases your influence and impact within your industry.
Enables you to attract loyal followers and a dedicated audience.
Positions you as a go-to resource for valuable content and insights.
Provides a platform to share your expertise and educate others.
Supports personal and professional growth through continuous content writing.
Facilitates personal branding partnerships and collaborations.
Sets the stage for future personal and professional opportunities.
Enhances your overall brand positioning strategy and long-term success.

Improving Personal Brand Positioning Through Strategic Content Writing

Improving personal branding with strategic content writing.

Know Your Target Audience

Understand who your target audience is and what they’re looking for.
Research their needs, pain points, and preferences to tailor your content writing.
Use language and messaging that resonates with your audience’s interests and values.
Continuously listen to and engage with your audience to strengthen your brand positioning.

Define Your Unique Voice

Develop a distinctive voice and tone that sets you apart in your content writing.
Infuse your personality into your writing to create a memorable brand positioning.
Be authentic and genuine, allowing your true self to shine through your content writing.
Consistently apply your unique voice across different platforms and content formats.

Share Your Personal Story

Connect with your audience on a deeper level by sharing your personal brand story.
Emphasize your journey, experiences, and lessons learned in your content writing.
Show vulnerability and authenticity to build trust and establish a relatable brand positioning.
Highlight how your story aligns with your audience’s aspirations and challenges.

Showcase Your Expertise

Demonstrate your expertise and knowledge in your content writing.
Provide valuable insights, tips, and solutions that showcase your competence.
Position yourself as a trusted resource and authority in your field through content writing.
Consistently share relevant and up-to-date information to reinforce your brand positioning.

Consistency is Key

Maintain consistency in your brand messaging and content writing style.
Ensure your brand positioning is reflected consistently across all platforms and channels.
Stick to a regular content schedule to keep your audience engaged and informed.
Build familiarity and trust by consistently delivering high-quality content.

Optimize for SEO

Conduct keyword research to understand the language used by your target audience.
Incorporate relevant keywords naturally throughout your content writing.
Optimize meta tags, headings, and descriptions for improved search engine visibility.
Focus on creating valuable and informative content that aligns with SEO best practices.

Diversify Your Content Formats

Experiment with various content formats to cater to different audience preferences.
Explore written articles, videos, podcasts, infographics, and more in your content writing.
Repurpose your content to maximize its reach and impact across different platforms.
Adapt your content to suit the strengths and characteristics of each format.

Engage and Interact

Foster engagement with your audience through your content writing.
Encourage comments, questions, and discussions to create a sense of community.
Respond promptly and authentically to audience interactions to build relationships.
Leverage social media platforms to actively engage and connect with your audience.

Collaborate and Network

Seek opportunities to collaborate with other influencers and professionals in your field.
Guest post, participate in interviews, or co-create content to expand your brand positioning.
Attend industry events and engage in networking activities to build valuable connections.
Leverage the power of collaboration to amplify your reach and impact.

Personalize the Experience

Tailor your content to address the specific needs and interests of your audience.
Use inclusive language and address your audience directly in your content writing.
Offer personalized recommendations, solutions, or insights to strengthen brand positioning.
Show that you genuinely care about your audience’s individual journeys and challenges.

Be Consistently Visible

Maintain an active presence on relevant social media platforms.
Share your content regularly and engage with your audience consistently.
Participate in industry discussions, forums, and online communities to boost visibility.
Strengthen brand positioning by being consistently visible and accessible.

Analyze and Adapt

Monitor the performance of your content using analytics tools and data.
Identify trends, patterns, and audience preferences to refine your content writing.
Continuously adapt your content strategy based on audience feedback and insights.
Stay updated with industry trends and adapt your brand positioning accordingly.

Seek Feedback and Learn

Be open to feedback and suggestions from your audience and peers.
Actively seek constructive criticism to improve your content writing and brand positioning.
Learn from both successes and failures, using them as opportunities for growth.
Embrace a growth mindset and continuously seek ways to enhance your personal brand.

Stay True to Yourself

Authenticity is crucial for effective brand positioning through content writing.
Stay true to your values, beliefs, and personality in your content writing.
Avoid trying to be someone you’re not, as it undermines your brand positioning.
Embrace your uniqueness and let it shine through your content.

Evolve and Innovate

Embrace change and stay ahead of industry trends and shifts.
Innovate in your content writing to offer unique and valuable perspectives.
Continuously evolve your brand positioning to remain relevant and captivating.
Embrace new technologies, content formats, and strategies to stand out.

By implementing these strategic content writing tips, you can improve your personal brand positioning effectively.

How to Write a Blog Post with Unique Insights

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Writing blog posts with useful insights

There are millions of blog posts published every day. On top of that, people are writing entry level blog posts using ChatGPT and Bard from Google by the dozens every day. With so much content readily available, how do you stand out. By publishing unique insights that your readers will not find anywhere else.

Writing and publishing blog posts with unique insights shows your readers that you are an expert in your field. This in turn builds trust and credibility. Trust and credibility lead to more readers and more sales.

Writing blog posts with unique perspective is also good for your SEO. Unique insights help you attract backlinks. Since the information you have published is available only on your website, other website owners want to link to your content for the value and information that you are providing. This boosts your blog’s search engine optimization efforts.

Search engines by themselves prefer unique, high-quality content. By writing blog posts with unique insights, you increase the likelihood of your blog posts being indexed and ranked faster, and higher in search engine results. Original content gets more preference by search engines.

Continuously writing and publishing unique insights provides a compelling reason to your readers to return to your blog. You build a loyal audience that appreciates your unique voice and expertise. Regular visitors are easy to engage. They subscribe to your blog. They share your content. They also become advocates of your brand.

How do you write and publish blog posts with unique insights? Here are a few things you can do.

Understand your target audience

Research your target audience’s interests, preferences, and pain points.
Identify knowledge gaps or areas where unique insights are lacking.

For insightful blog writing, publish blog posts that are relevant and engaging to your target audience. To achieve that, you need to understand them. You need to understand their interests, preferences, and pain points.

Once you have understood your audience, identify knowledge gaps or areas where unique insights are lacking. This will help you write informative and valuable blog posts.

How do you understand your target audience?

Do research

Your website analytics is a good place to begin. Where does most of your traffic come from? What search terms or queries do people use to find your content? This will tell you what information people are looking for or whether you have optimized your content for the right audience or not.

Look at the performance of your past blog posts and analyze the engagement metrics. Pay attention to which topics, formats, and styles resonate most with your audience.

You can interact with people on social media. Ask questions. Talk about their interests. What problems are they trying to solve?

You can also conduct surveys and interviews to get a more in-depth understanding of your audience’s needs and wants.

Monitor industry trends

Stay up-to-date with the latest trends, news, and developments in your industry. Identify emerging topics. Commenting on the leading conversations will help you position yourself as a thought leader.

You can also observe conversations in online communities, forums and publications. Gain inspiration from conversations that are outside of your echo chamber. What are people talking about in related industries?

Identify their pain points

What challenges are they facing? What are their biggest frustrations. Once you know what they are struggling with, you can provide them solutions through your insightful blog writing.

Find out what your audience is interested in

What do they read? What are they talk about on social media? What are their hobbies and interests? These will help you understand your audience better. It may not directly impact your blog writing, but you will gain a perspective, and this will certainly help you mold your language.

Stay informed and engaged for writing insightful blog posts

Follow industry news, trends, and emerging topics.
Engage in discussions and forums related to your niche.
Subscribe to newsletters, blogs, and podcasts that provide valuable insights.

You can follow industry news and trends by regularly reading industry-specific publications, both online and off-line. You can stay updated on the latest news, trends, and developments in your field. How do you do that?

For starters, you can use Google Alerts. In Google Alerts you can set up certain keywords and terms around which when content is published, you get an alert in your inbox. You can also subscribe to RSS feeds of different online publications. You can closely follow industry leaders on specific topics of interest.

There is social media of course. Closely follow conversations on Twitter and LinkedIn to stay informed. You can get updates in real-time.

You can join online communities and discussion forums to engage with people and get a pulse of what’s going on in your industry. There are many social media groups related to your niche.

Prepare a list of influential blogs, newsletters and podcast in your industry that consistently provide valuable insights. Set aside some time to read or listen to such content to update yourself.

You can also attend events that bring industry professionals together. During such get-togethers and workshops, you can build relationships with other professionals in your field and then later keep in touch with them for expert opinions and valuable insights. You can also connect with influencers and experts through social media platforms, particularly LinkedIn and Twitter.

Don’t want to rely on existing content? You can conduct your own original research. This will help you uncover unique insights that are not available elsewhere. With the help of surveys, interviews, and case studies, you can obtain valuable data and information. Gather data over a long period of time and then present data-driven insights to your audience.

Conduct original research for writing insightful blog posts

Design and execute surveys, interviews, or case studies.
Gather data and analyze it to uncover unique findings.
Present your research results in a clear and concise manner.

By designing and executing surveys, interviews, or case studies, you can gather data to uncover new findings that support your arguments.

How do you conduct original research to write blog posts with unique insights?

Design your research

Your research must have an objective. You must know what the purpose of your research is and what you want to obtain out of the several questions you mean to ask people.

Your research method is equally important. The best research method is based on your specific goals. If you want to collect data from many people, you need to conduct a survey. For an in-depth understanding of a topic, interviewing them is the way to go. If you want to learn more about how something works or to identify potential problems, going through case studies is your best option.

Formulate research questions and hypothesis so that you can create specific and focused questions. You need them to collect necessary data. You may like to keep the following points in mind:

Start with the research objective: what do you want to learn?
Bring down your research objective into smaller, more specific questions.
Make sure that your questions are answerable.
Make sure your questions are relevant to your research objective.

Share personal experiences for writing blog posts with useful insights

Draw from your own experiences to provide unique perspective.
Offer real-life examples and anecdotes that resonate with readers.
Discuss challenges, lessons learned, and actionable takeaways.

By drawing from your own experiences, you can provide a unique perspective. You can share relatable examples and valuable insights.

For maximum effect, identify relevant experiences. Determine which of your experiences are relevant to your blog’s niche in the topic you are addressing. You want to share with your audience the lessons you have learned, and the insights you have obtained. You want to share stories and anecdotes they can relate to. The stories and anecdotes complement the theme of your blog post.

A good thing about sharing your experiences is that you are the only person who has had these experiences. You offer a unique and fresh perspective on the topic you are writing on. This will help your audience understand a different viewpoint that they may have never considered before. Share your details with emotions. Talk about the challenges you faced and how you overcame those challenges.

Provide actionable takeaways based on your personal experiences. Present a list of practical advice, tips, and strategies that work in your case and may also work for others. Give them a roadmap that they can instantly follow.

Be authentic – very important. Your story represents YOU. Be genuine and authentic when sharing personal experiences. Avoid exaggeration and embellishments. Remember that readers can instantly sense inauthenticity.

Since these are real-life examples, they will be more believable. If something has worked for you, it can also work for your readers.

Leverage data and analytics for writing insightful blog posts

Utilize tools like Google Analytics to identify popular topics and keywords.
Analyze user behavior and engagement metrics to understand what resonates with your audience.
Use data-driven insights to craft unique and compelling content.

You can write insightful blog posts that resonate with your audience by using data analytics. For that, you can start with Google Analytics. You will need to setup and configure Google analytics so that it tracks and measures traffic and other metrics on your blog. You can gain insights such as traffic sources, page views, bounce rate, average time spent on page, and the search queries being used to find your content.

You can identify popular topics on your blog with Google Analytics. Which blog topics attract the most organic traffic to your blog? This will help you find out which type of content resonates with your audience, and you can generate new ideas accordingly for your future blog posts.

Google Analytics, or another analytics tools can help you analyze user behavior further. What is the click through rate? What is the scroll depth – how far a user has scrolled down a web page or blog post? What is the conversion rate?

You can prepare an Excel sheet and make a list of high-performance blog posts – blog posts that receive significant user engagement through search traffic or social sharing. Figure out why these posts are successful compared to other posts. Do more people leave comments? Do more people share these successful posts?

By gathering data and analytics, you can incorporate the insights into your blog’s content strategy.

Engage with thought leaders for writing insightful blog posts

Connect with influencers, experts, and thought leaders in your industry.
Interview them or feature their perspectives in your blog post.
Incorporate their insights to add credibility and authority to your content.

Thought leaders are individuals who are experts in their field and have a large social following. By interacting with influencers, experts, and thought leaders in your industry, you can gain access to the knowledge and perspectives, adding credibility and authority to your content. How do you engage and connect with thought leaders?

Identify key influencers and experts in your industry. It’s better if they have a strong online presence and a significant following. They may not respond out of the blues. Follow them on LinkedIn, Twitter or another platform they are active on. Engage with their content. Leave comments. Share their posts. Share your own thoughts. Add value to their threads. This will help you establish a connection and grab their attention.

Once you have established a connection with them, you can send them personalized, concise, and professional messages expressing your interest in collaborating, featuring them on your blog post. Explain to them clearly what value they can bring to your content and how much you appreciate their expert opinion. Clearly communicate specific topics or angles you would like to explore with them. If possible, send them some examples of your previous collaborations.

When the thought leaders you have approached agree for an interview, prepare a well-thought-out set of questions that will delve deep into their area of expertise. Remember you want to extract unique insights that people may find difficult to obtain from other online sources. Formulate your questions accordingly.

Even if you cannot directly interview them, they must publish lots of insightful content on their own blogs or social media timelines. You can feature their blog posts and social media updates on your blog. You can cite their work and research publications in reputed magazines. Remember to give them credit for their contributions.

Draw inspiration from different sources to write blog posts with useful insights

Read books, articles, and studies outside your niche to gain diverse perspectives.
Explore unrelated industries or disciplines for unique insights.
Combine ideas from different sources to create a fresh approach.

How do you draw inspiration from different sources to write insightful blog posts that stand out? You can read books, articles, and case studies. For example, you can read books on psychology, sociology, history, technology, or related fields to gain in-depth knowledge that you can then share with your blog readers. This can be immensely helpful especially when most of the bloggers regurgitate information present on other blogs.

You can also explore unrelated industries and disciplines that may be remotely connected to your niche. Look for parallels, metaphors, or analogies that can be drawn between your niche and other industries. Cross-pollinate ideas. Come up with thought-provoking blog post.

Actively participate in conversations, discussions, and networking events, both online and off-line. Engage with professionals, thought leaders, and experts from different backgrounds to get inspiration and ideas. The diverse viewpoints and experiences of others can inspire new ways of thinking and spark creative ideas for your blog posts.

You can also combine ideas from different sources to give them a new twist. You can take inspiration from multiple sources and create a unique mash up with an entirely new insight.

Read widely. Explore unrelated topics. Be open to new ideas even if at the outset they seem completely alien.

Conduct comparative analysis for writing insightful blog posts

Compare and contrast different approaches, methodologies, or theories.
Highlight the strengths and weaknesses of each perspective.
Your own unique synthesis or opinion on the topic.

By comparing and contrasting different approaches, methodologies, theories, and highlighting the strengths and weaknesses, you can offer readers a comprehensive understanding of your topic. How do you conduct a comparative analysis?

Identify multiple approaches, methodologies, or theories related to your blog post topic. They can be different schools of thought, strategies, or frameworks. Analyze their key elements, principles, or components for each approach. Identify what is similar and what is different.

Once you have identified the perspectives you want to focus on, highlight their strengths and weaknesses. Consider factors such as effectiveness, applicability, limitations, and potential drawbacks. List advantages and benefits of each perspective. Also discuss their limitations and shortcomings.

Simply listing the different attributes won’t to give you unique insights. Finally, you need to offer your own unique synthesis or perspective. Provide insights and recommendations based on your understanding. Which approaches or elements do you recommend? Which approaches and elements you don’t recommend.

Back up your comparative analysis with supporting evidence and examples. You can cite studies, research papers, case studies and observations made by the experts in your field. You can link to data, statistics and expert opinion.

Comparative analysis offers readers a comprehensive understanding of a topic by comparing different approaches, highlighting strengths and weaknesses, and providing your own synthesis or opinion. Supporting your analysis with evidence and presenting information in a structured manner enhances clarity and readability for readers seeking informed decisions and deeper insights.

Encourage dialogue and feedback for writing insightful blog posts

Invite readers to share their thoughts, opinions, and experiences in the comments section.
Respond to comments and engage in meaningful discussions.
Use reader feedback to refine your insights and provide more value.

Encourage readers to participate in the conversation by explicitly asking them for their thoughts, opinions, or experiences related to your blog post topic. You can use open-ended questions to prom readers to share their thoughts. Ask them how they have tackled similar challenges or if they have alternative perspectives on the topic.

Create a positive environment so that they feel welcome. Foster respect and constructive dialogue. Clearly state your expectations for commenters to engage in respectful and relevant discussions. You can also moderate comments to remove spam or abusive language.

Since you are inviting your readers to leave comments, take the time to respond to the comments. Acknowledge the contributions and show appreciation for the insights.

If they ask questions, provide answers. Provide clarifications when they are sought. This demonstrates your commitment to engage.

People don’t always have to agree with you. Encourage constructive criticism and diverse perspectives. Respond to criticism with an open mind.

Use feedback to refine your insights. Pay attention to the feedback and incorporate the insights into existing and new blog posts.

You can also engage people on social media platforms and other online channels. Don’t confine your conversations within your own blog. Respond to comments, shares, inventions on your social media profiles.

Conclusion

To write insightful blog posts, research your audience, provide unique perspectives, back up your claims with evidence, and engage in meaningful conversations with readers.

How to use Sonder to be a better copywriter

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Better copywriting through empathy

While going through a copywriting newsletter in the afternoon, I came across an interesting word: sonder.

First of all, is sonder even a word? You don’t find it in regular dictionary. But you find it in a book called “Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows”, written by John Koenig.

The author was put in a situation where he couldn’t find the right words to express certain emotions and situations. He started making his own words. Sonder is one of such words.

Sondor dictionary of sorrow

It is supposed to be a noun. It is a realization that each random person passing by is living a life that is as vivid and complex as your own life. They have their own ambitions. They have their own set of friends, routines, anxieties or have even inherited particular traits of their parents and grandparents.

Basically, it is an epic story (of all the individuals coming your way, collectively) that is going on parallel to your own story. Sonder means, realizing that such a situation exists.

It means realizing that every person has a story.

How does it impact your copywriting?

What do you need for effective copywriting?

You need empathy.

I was recently editing a book for a client (partly autobiographical and partly self-development) and he has a chapter on being the VIP of your life. What does that mean?

You are the VIP of your life. In your life, you are the most important person. You are the most important person for yourself. You are the most important person for your family. You take care of yourself. Your family takes care of you. You worry about your welfare. Your family worries about your welfare.

Even that poor person selling roasted peanuts by the side of the road living in a shanty is an important person for his or her household.

What has it got to do with copywriting?

You need to see the others’ perspective. You need to understand your audience. You need to convey that you share their feelings. You should be able to tell them that you have the solution for their problem.

The good thing about sonder is that you cannot pretend to have sympathy with people, and even if you pretend, as an effective copywriter, your words won’t be able to reflect your assumed feeling.

Empathy, when writing, must come from within.

Listed below are a few steps you can take to use sonder or empathy to be an effective copywriter.

Clearly define the problem for your users

Clearly define the problem when copywriting

When you define the problem, you tell them that you understand exactly what they are going through.

Suppose, I tell you that you have a pain in your knee. Yes, you have a pain in your knee, but in many cases, the pain may not be the exact problem.

Because of that pain, it is difficult for you to sit down and stand up. It is difficult for you to walk. This makes it difficult for you to do the household chores. You are unable to take proper care of your kids. Your quality of life has suffered. You cannot travel. At night you cannot sleep so throughout the day you’re tired. You are compelled to take painkillers and you know that these painkillers are damaging your kidneys.

Another example: you cannot find a capable SEO copywriter who can help you improve your search engine rankings. Hence, your problem is lower search engine rankings.

But what happens due to lower search engine rankings?

You don’t get customers. You are not able to sell the product that you know is awesome. You go through financial difficulties. To maintain the cash flow, you often have to do odd jobs you hate. You are worried about the financial safety of your family. Due to lack of money, your business is stuck in the middle of nowhere. Your potential is being wasted. You are having to spend hours every day networking and convincing people into buying your product. Your self-worth is suffering.

As a copywriter I should be able to understand not just your problem, but also your situation. Only then I can use the right words to move you into buying the product or the service that I’m promoting.

Tell stories to elevate the sense of empathy

Storytelling for empathy

People relate to stories. They relate to the characters, especially the protagonist who fights with the odds and emerges victorious.

Take the above example of someone not being able to improve his search engine rankings. Tell the story of the person who closely works with an SEO copywriter. Tell them how he figures out that he needs to publish targeted content consistently. Narrate how publishing targeted content consistently, ultimately improves search engine rankings for the right keywords and the business eventually picks up.

Most of the customers have the traits of your main character. They are facing problems. They are fearful. They are frustrated. They have obstacles on their paths. They are bearing the consequences of their past actions. They are not able to come out of their predicament.

When they see or when they read about your protagonist using your product or service to improve his lot, they will immediately relate.

How does your story manifest empathy? You cannot create a moving narrative unless your readers can make an emotional connection with your protagonist, and this can only happen if you understand their core problems.

Looking for better sonder? Talk in their language

Talk in their language

As a copywriter you can easily go your own way when using words. Remember that you are writing for your audience. You don’t want to impress them. You want to convert them.

It’s a myth that writing in your audience’s language means “dumbing down” your writing. There is no need to write for the sixth standard if your audience is composed of PhD candidates, working parents, or small business owners.

Writing in their language means using words and expressions that they use in their everyday lives.

This will also help you improve your search engine rankings because most of the people use search terms that they use in their day-to-day conversations.

When you talk in their language, when you address their concerns in their language, you show them that you empathize with them.

Let them choose and decide

When you empathize with your audience through your copywriting, you empower them. You achieve this by letting them choose on their own whether they want to do business with you or not.

Provide them the information. Educate them. Give them data. Help them compare. Tell them stories they can relate to. Present case studies and white papers. Engage with them on an ongoing basis. But ultimately, leave it up to them to decide.

Finding the sonder – attributes that help you empathize with your audience – will help you markedly improve the effectiveness of your copywriting.

Can you use ChatGPT for content writing?

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Using ChatGPT for writing content

The simple answer is, yes you can. Can you really? It depends.

First, what is ChatGPT? It is a simple online AI chatbot created by OpenAI. It answers the questions you ask. It is an AI language model. It generates human-like text based on the prompt that you give to it. It can generate responses to questions, write stories and poems, and generate Twitter threads. It can be used with conversational AI applications to simulate human-like interactions.

I have used ChatGPT for a few weeks to write content for my clients. Does it mean my clients can fire me and start using ChatGPT themselves to generate blog posts, web pages and email messages? Sure, if they want to.

The problem is, although ChatGPT digs up good information and can also communicate in a language that is free of spelling and grammar mistakes, it is yet far away from being as good as an average writer. Why is it so?

Content writing must be convincing

There is no individuality in the writing in ChatGPT. It simply presents the information. Writing is less about writing and more about expressing, especially when you want to convince people.

For presenting information, yes, it is fine. For example, if I ask ChatGPT, “What is SEO content writing?” it gives a very well-written answer:

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) content writing is the process of creating website content that is optimized to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). This involves incorporating targeted keywords, phrases, and other optimization techniques into the content to make it more visible to search engines like Google.

The primary goal of SEO content writing is to create content that not only meets the needs of the target audience but also meets the requirements of search engines. This can involve writing content that includes relevant keywords and phrases, optimizing headlines and subheadings, using meta descriptions and tags, and incorporating internal and external links.

SEO content writing is a critical component of digital marketing and can help businesses to increase their online visibility and drive more traffic to their website. However, it’s important to note that creating content solely for search engines can negatively impact the user experience, and therefore a balance between optimization and creating valuable, engaging content for the reader must be struck.

Even if you want to publish this explanation of “What is a SEO content writing?”, suppose 10 people ask the same question to ChatGPT and they all publish the same answer?

Even if they change the wording, the explanation remains more or less the same and this will be detected by Google. There was a time when Google looked down upon machine generated content, but with the advent of AI tools like ChatGPT, Google says as long as the content is of quality, original, and helpful, it doesn’t matter whether it is written by humans or machines.

As a content writer, my recommendation for using ChatGPT is, use it for grunt work, and then use your own magic.

How to use ChatGPT to write high-quality content

Quality content writing with ChatGPT

You can use ChatGPT to create an outline and find useful information. In fact, when it comes to finding some research data, ChatGPT is better than Google, but the only problem is that when you are searching on Google, you have an option of looking at multiple sources. ChatGPT on the other hand, just gives you the information. Whether you want to trust this information or not, is completely up to you.

I find it useful to generate lists of options. For example, if you give this prompt to ChatGPT: “List the 5 most important items to carry when going to watch a cricket match in a stadium,” it gives you a list of items along with small explanation of why you may need those items. You can use this information then to write a complete blog post.

The key is using the right prompt.

Remember that ChatGPT is a language model. You should be as detailed as possible. I have seen some people writing a complete paragraph, using even bulleted points, to generate a prompt.

Here is a typical prompt you can use:

Act as an expert copywriter. Write a 500-word blog post on the benefit of using humor in copywriting. Cover at least five points. Use bulleted points to sum up main points. Include two real-world examples. Write in casual language. Write short sentences. Write in active voice.

As you can see, you need to tell ChatGPT what persona it should adopt while writing. You must also tell it the format in which you want the content to be written. In some prompts, you can also tell ChatGPT what information to exclude.

Until a few months ago many content writers and copywriters were claiming that AI writing tools will never be able to replace writers. Even I had written a few sentences discounting the fears of software like ChatGPT replacing writers. Things have changed a bit. Especially with the advent of ChatGPT.

Such tools will be able to help bulk writers write lots of content. If you “regenerate response” you may be able to generate variations of the same content, but I believe that soon, the more people start using it, the more similar-sounding the content will become.

When will ChatGPT replace you as a writer?

Will ChatGPT replace writers?

ChatGPT cannot do thinking for you. If you simply write SEO articles and blog posts, then ChatGPT has already begun to replace you. It is just a matter of your clients finding it out.

To make sure that you are not replaced by ChatGPT, you need to be more creative. You must have a voice that helps your content stand out.

Actually, this advice was applicable even when ChatGPT was not there. Copywriters and content writers are available on the Internet a dime a dozen, and to be frank, there are very few clients who can distinguish a great content writer from an ordinary content writer. Most of the clients are just interested in filling up their web pages and blog posts to somehow improve their search engine rankings. So, this sort of competition better copywriters and content writers have always faced.

But it’s a blessing in disguise. Copywriters and content writers who can compellingly express their ideas will be in greater demand because mediocre writers will be replaced by software options like ChatGPT.

How can you compete?

Improve your writing skills. Communicate instead of merely writing. Polish your creativity. Develop a unique voice. Focus on quality over quantity.

Remember that ChatGPT is a general language model. It may not be able to write content for a particular audience. It cannot understand the undetectable nuances. This is where you can beat ChatGPT as a content writer.