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Nice analysis of how Grammarly attracts 41.46M monthly visitors with content marketing

Grammarly content marketing strategy

Grammarly content marketing strategy

I just checked my old email inbox that I used to use around 2010. In 2011, they were just in the process of launching Grammarly and one of their representatives had filled up my contact form inviting me to write a review for their writing tool in exchange for a three-month Grammarly subscription.

Through the email thread it isn’t clear whether I actually wrote the review or not – in a couple of years I had to take down my old website because another website had completely hijacked my content and due to that, my search engine rankings had dropped to 0.

I don’t have much problem with grammar and I’m not their ideal customer, nonetheless, a few times I have tried to use their service but have always found it a bit expensive, especially for my limited needs.

But that’s another story.

Here is a nice analysis of how Grammarly uses content marketing to attract 41.46 million monthly visitors to its website. The writer of this blog post says that Grammarly uses strategically connected content clusters.

What are content clusters? It is the grouping of multiple web pages and blog posts under one primary topic.

So, you create a blog post briefly explaining the main topic, and then for all the related subtopics you write separate blog posts and then link to those blog posts from the main blog post.

Why content clusters help?

Content clusters are good for conversion rate as well as search engine rankings.

Why content clusters are good for conversion rate?

Around 50% B2B buyers prefer to read 3-5 content pieces before they make a buying decision. Normally they read a blog post or a web page. Then they navigate to another website. Then you again make an effort to bring them back to your website. This goes on multiple times. Most of the times they lose the track.

When you create a content cluster, they are immediately exposed to all the relevant content pieces. Whatever they need to read before deciding, it’s right in front of them. You don’t have to get them to your website multiple times, wasting your own time and resources.

Why content clusters are good for your SEO?

Google evaluates your rankings on the basis of the relevance and comprehensiveness of your content as well as the way people react to your content. When you create content clusters you already create comprehensive content.

If people find your link on Google, go to your website and then leave your website to carry on with the search, Google assumes they didn’t find the information they were looking for and hence you shouldn’t be ranking for the search term used. Your ranking for that keyword or search term is lowered.

Conversely, upon finding your link on Google, when people click it, go to your website and then spend some time exploring your website and going through additional links, Google assumes that your website contains relevant information and consequently, improves your rankings for that keyword or search term

Coming back to Grammarly…

The SaaS company knows that it is a service for writers or people who take their writing seriously whether they are scholars, writers or business persons. Consequently, there is lots of written content on their blog. The above-linked blog post says that Grammarly has 2100 content pieces on its blog.

On second thought, 2100 content pieces isn’t much for a company with a valuation of 100-US$ 500 million (source), but still, it is enough content to make it into a content marketing powerhouse, especially when the content pieces are strategically grouped together in the form of logical content clusters.

If you don’t want to pay even a decent amount for writing services, you don’t need a writer

Nothing wrong in paying for quality content writing and copywriting

Although for many years I have been turning down low-paying content writing and copywriting assignments, on an average I get 2-3 queries every day from clients who think paying for good writing the amount it deserves, is waste of money, especially when cheap writers are available.

My standard response is, “Good for you! If you want such writers, your business needs those writers, and you should stop looking around.”

I think, in most of the cases, somehow, they get the idea that my writing services are very cheap (I really, really don’t know how I give this impression on my website), even cheaper than what they are paying now, or pretend to be paying now.

Because, otherwise, if they are paying dirt cheap and if such writing is working for them, why are they looking for another content writer unless they want to pay even less?

Fortunately, most of the clients who contact me understand that their business needs quality writing and they are going to have to pay for quality writing.

My content writing and copywriting services are not very expensive, but they are also not cheap.

I don’t undersell myself.

I run a business.

I need to maintain the cash flow.

Over the years, I have gotten an idea of how much my clients are ready to pay for the quality of writing I provide.

I charge slightly less than that.

Why you shouldn’t refrain from spending money on quality content writing?

Your written content is the main point of contact when people come to your website or access your blog or receive your email message.

When people read your content, you are talking to them.

You are trying to sell them.

If your writing is not convincing, you don’t convince your customers and clients.

Every headline counts. Every sentence counts. So does every paragraph and every bullet point.

If your writing is less than professional, your customers and clients think, well, if this person cannot write properly, how can I expect him or her to deliver his or her services professionally?

You may say, “Oh well, I am a mobile app developer, so, it doesn’t matter how the content is written on my website. The client is going to hire me for my programming prowess, not my writing abilities.”

I agree with you. In your case, the client or the customer is not looking for a writer.

Assuming you are a programmer, do you think a coder or a programmer will be exploring your website to hire you?

No, he or she will be a manager, a business owner, a digital marketer, or someone who is responsible for taking serious decisions, decisions that involve spending lots of money.

Even if he or she is a coder, he or she is also responsible for hiring people.

People on such posts are very particular about messaging, presentation and above all, professionalism.

It can easily put them off if the writing on your website is not good.

Only when they are impressed with your writing, they will consider reading about your coding prowess.

This is one thing.

Another thing is, visiting websites and reading content on websites is a highly individual activity.

Your text should be conversational and interesting.

It should be able to hold the attention of the reader.

Your writing should be able to sell your idea strongly.

The passion must drip through your words.

And, if you have such writing on your website, it will constantly generate business for you.

Otherwise… do I need to say more?

Therefore, when you are investing in a good writer, in quality content writing or quality copywriting, you are investing in your business.

Writing is the oxygen your website needs to survive.

If the quality of the oxygen is not good, your website is going to suffocate.

If you think such writing is not worth paying for, for your case, it is really not worth paying for.

After all, it’s you who are responsible for the good health or the bad health of your business.

How to write a high-impact sales copy without sounding salesy

The image shows a greedy salesman prompting you to buy from him immediately

Avoid being salesy while writing your sales copy

When you are convincing people, you are basically selling. Whether you are promoting a political idea, or urging people to adopt a social change, or prompting them to hire your content writing and copywriting services, for example, you need to convince them, and when you convince them, you are selling. Whenever you are convincing, through writing, you are writing sales copy.

When you are writing sales copy for business, the convincing part takes a totally different level because you are not just telling people to change their behavior, you are also asking them to spend money, and spend money on you – the hardest thing to achieve.

The “hardest” part is actually a misconception, and this is why people begin to indulge in a salesy sales copy instead of actually making a point. They simply want people to buy, instead of offering them something that can transform their lives.

Selling is not difficult if you have something worth buying.

You need two things to sell:

  1. A good product or service that is of great use.
  2. Your ability to convince people that you have got a great product or service that is of great use.

Sales copy comes into the picture during the convincing part. When you overdo the convincing, it becomes salesy.

This Forbes article advises you how to avoid being salesy while promoting your business, I’m writing my post in terms of content writing and copywriting without sounding salesy. Here are a few points we can take from the article itself:

Make a connection with your sales copy instead of immediately starting to sell

Selling is no longer impersonal. We live in a social world. We have always lived in a social world, but now we can socially connect like never before. According to the latest Mary Meeker report on Internet trends, by 2018, 3.8 billion people were connected to the Internet.

Even though you may say that the amount of information available on the Internet is overwhelming and ends up confounding people instead of making them feel more aware, personal recommendations generate more business than conventional advertising and marketing.

Making a personal connection means, talking to the person as if he or she is actually sitting in front of you, through your copywriting.

For example, while writing copy to promote my content writing and copywriting services, instead of constantly harping about how great a copywriter I am, I should address your concerns such as your need to improve your conversion rate and have better search engine rankings.

You want your visitors to come across highly professional and convincing copy on your website. You don’t want to sound unprofessional. You don’t want to sound someone like who doesn’t know how to communicate through writing.

Through helpful content writing and copywriting, you also want to make your visitors aware and educate them on the benefits of doing business with you. Only after that you make a pitch for your product or service.

My preferred way of making a connection is publishing lots of helpful blog posts such as this one. Most of my clients have read my blog posts. They like what I write. By the time they contact me to hire me as their content writer or a copywriter, they are already convinced that they want me to write for them.

Constantly obtain feedback from your prospective customers and clients and update your copy accordingly

The first version of your copy doesn’t have to be your last version. Though, when you are paying for content writer or a copywriter it becomes kind of a hassle, but even if it is a hassle, it is a necessary hassle.

What are the problems faced by the people for whom you are writing your copy? What are the things that trouble them? What are their apprehensions when they want to use your product or service? What sort of language do they use when they are searching for information on your product or service?

The way they talk about your product or service constantly changes according to the rapidly changing cultural and social nuances. Even what they want from you may change over the months. Keep making changes to your copy accordingly.

Offer transformation instead of your product or service

What is the biggest benefit of doing business with you? Make that the central point of your copy instead of your product or service.

I will again take an example from my own content writing and copywriting services. I write great, but so what? You are not looking for a Donna Tartt or a Martin Amis. You are looking for a content writer who can improve your conversion rate and give you better SEO.

You want a copy that converts maximum number of people who come to your landing page. You want the maximum number of people to download your e-book. You want to engage people on social networking websites. You want to establish yourself as an authority in your field.

These are the transformative things I should offer you instead of constantly telling you how great my content writing services are and how prodigal my copy is going to be once I write for you.

Is being salesy totally bad and counter-productive?

I wouldn’t say always. It depends. If you totally ignore selling your product or service, your prospective customer or client may miss the point. He or she may end up thinking that you are simply educating and informing, and you don’t intend to sell your product or service.

So, yes, if I want you to hire me as your content writer or a copywriter, I need to convey to you that I offer these services. I also need to talk about why it makes sense to hire me instead of another content writer or copywriter or another content writing a copywriting service.

But before I can do that, I should establish a connection with you. You should appreciate my writing. You should understand what advantages I bring to the table by going through the information available on my website and blog. After that, even if I sound salesy, you will be more receptive.

Is it essential that your content goes viral for content marketing success?

Does the success of your content marketing depend on your content going viral?

Does the success of your content marketing depend on your content going viral?

How does your content go viral?

Look for this question on Google and you will find many blog posts and articles.

But is it essential for the success of your content marketing?

Depends.

It is understandable that if traffic matters to your website/blog and you earn ad revenue then definitely your content going viral matters to you because when your content goes viral, it means more traffic.

A few years ago, I wrote a political blog post on Medium and it went viral (it was read by more than 300,000 people) and I gained more than 1000 Twitter followers as a result, though, in terms of getting more business, it didn’t help me because it wasn’t related to content writing or content marketing.

Content going viral also helps you if you want to spread a message or an idea within a span of a couple of days. You want one of your articles or blog posts to reach thousands of people. When I wrote the above-mentioned political blog post, I actually wanted it to be read by as many people as possible.

It also gets you brand recognition when your content goes viral. The more people read your blog post, the more people know about you.

Many clients come to me and say that they need an article or a blog post that will go viral.

I tell them that I cannot promise anything. I can put in all the ingredients that are needed for a particular piece of content to go viral, but ultimately, whether that particular piece of content goes viral or not depends on many unpredictable patterns.

Does the success or failure of your content marketing depend on viral content?

I don’t think so.

The purpose of content marketing is, aside from building an audience (a viral blog post does not guarantee that) over a long period of time, is to help people so that they begin to remember you with a positive impression.

Content marketing makes it easier for people to find you.

Suppose you have covered all your topics in your field. For example, I provide content writing and content marketing services so I’m constantly explaining different aspects of these two realms.

Although it is not up to me whether I get good search engine rankings or not for the blog posts and web pages that I continuously publish on my website, the possibility of increasing my rankings definitely improves.

It is like, if you do something and there is 1% chance of success, if you don’t do something, the chance is 0%. So, publishing high-quality content, no matter how meagre or how limited, is better than publishing no content.

So, instead of worrying about making your content go viral, focus on publishing quality-content on an ongoing basis. Aim to help your audience.

If you help your audience and if due to that, you get more leads and generate more sales, your content marketing is successful, whether one of your blog posts goes viral or not.