How to make a connection through your content writing and hook readers

How to make a connection with your content writing

How to make a connection with your content writing

Why do you write and publish content?

I’m pretty sure many of you are going to say, “for better SEO”.

Although, this is not a wrong approach, if you are writing and publishing content merely to improve your search engine rankings, you’re missing a great opportunity to connect with your core audience.

Your content writing increases your conversion rate if it is able to connect with your readers.

Your content writing must be able to establish a connection with your readers/visitors, as very nicely explained in this blog post, titled “How to write magnetic content that resonates with your audience”.

The author draws a parallel between a chance encounter with a letter carrier or a mailman, and the importance of different approaches towards storytelling to establish a connection with your audience.

He begins his blog post by telling a story about a letter carrier who used to deliver mail in his office, six years ago. Then he got transferred to another city or another area.

The author observes that the letter carrier has grown heavier.

During his previous posting, the letter carrier had to visit individual offices or homes to deliver mail and letters. He would park it struck somewhere and then walk to different offices and homes.

In his new posting, he didn’t have to move much. All he had to do was open the mailbox doors, put in the letters, and close the doors, from within the truck itself. Result: he gained weight.

Such a subtle difference, such a big impact.

In my own blog post, this one, I begin with the importance of making a connection with your readers.

Why is it important to make a connection with your content writing?

Why is it important to make a connection with your content writing

Why is it important to make a connection with your content writing?

By now you must have read multiple times that every buying decision is an emotional decision.

A Harvard business School professor says that 95% of purchase decisions are made subconsciously.

Emotions are triggered when you make a connection, whether the connection is visible or invisible, whether it is perceptible or imperceptible.

The connection doesn’t even have to be immediate.

Maybe a connection was made a year ago or a month ago and then, even unconsciously, it comes to the fore, when you are making a purchase or making a buying decision or deciding to hire someone like a content writer.

In the above-linked blog post, the author says that you can make connections, you can write magnetic content, by opening every piece of writing with an engaging story.

Why is storytelling important?

You may like to read Importance of storytelling in content marketing.

Recently I have worked on a few landing pages and the clients have insisted on having a short story on the landing page.

I begin a typical story like this:

There was this guy named Peter. He was having problems with his business. These problems had spilled over his personal life. He was on the verge of getting a divorce. He was thinking of filing for bankruptcy. He had laid off most of his staff.

Then he came across this app that completely transforms the way he manages his business.

… and so on.

Yes, at this time when explaining it here, it may seem a bit artificial, but on the landing page, I create an entire narrative and you can feel a connection with the protagonist.

When you tell a story, people can immediately relate.

These days there is the Coronavirus pandemic going on.

If you go through various blog posts and articles preparing lists of books that you can read while you are confined at home, you will notice that 80% of the books have some sort of outbreak or epidemic as the main theme. This is because these days people can relate to such plots and stories.

You can interweave storytelling and content writing by creating a context.

Does the story always have to be real?

It’s great if the story is real, but even if it isn’t real, as long as it is believable and practical, use it.

Why storytelling makes your content writing unique from your competitors?

When you’re writing and publishing content on your website or blog, how unique is it?

Haven’t all the topics also been covered by your competitors?

For example, if you are a mobile app development company and you want to explain your development process, aren’t there thousands of other websites out there that are explaining their development process in the same manner?

How do you make your mobile app development process unique?

Through storytelling.

Your story is always going to be unique because, it’s your story.

So, instead of simply explaining your development process, tell about a client who had a certain problem and then how you used your development process to solve that problem.

This can be applied to any situation.

For example, instead of explaining how to do online trading using your platform, talk about how Rajesh used your platform for strategic investment and growing his money.

Email marketing dos and don’ts during the Covid-19 pandemic

Email marketing during the coronavirus outbreak

Email marketing during the coronavirus outbreak

Businesses all over the world are being hit hard as the world reels under the scourge of Covid-19 (popularly known as the Coronavirus).

Thousands are dying. Hundreds of thousands are being infected. Businesses are being shut. Employees are being laid off.

At the time of writing this, there are almost 190,000 Coronavirus cases in the US and the death toll surpassing 12,000 in Italy (source). India has crossed the 1600 mark.

In this atmosphere of extreme chaos, how do you keep your business running?

By “keep your business running” I don’t mean promoting your products and services and asking people to buy them when they are in no position to buy them.

What I mean is, how do you maintain contact? How do you reach out to your customers and clients who may be affected by the pandemic, in various degrees?

What sort of emails should you send to your mailing list?

People are not interested in business offers because they are dealing with a much bigger problem.

On the other hand, you shouldn’t put a stop to your usual communication with your customers and clients.

In fact, this is the right time to inculcate a sense of normality, without aggressively promoting yourself.

Talk about the Covid-19 pandemic

Image source: Science News.

This Inc. article suggests that you should address the problem head on. Talk about the Coronavirus pandemic or the Covid-19 outbreak and how it is affecting practically everyone, directly or indirectly.

At the time of an outbreak, people want to be informed. They want to get the latest information.

If you have a mailing list, you already have a platform to raise awareness about the virus.

I often order medicines from an online medicine delivery service. Recently they sent a very nice infographic on how to practice social distancing and how to wash your hands properly to keep yourself from getting infected.

There was no marketing message.

Pretty much everyone is aware of the importance of social distancing and properly washing hands, but the infographics was pretty nicely done.

Inculcate hope amidst negativity

Everyone is stressed out. Even if people are not sick, they are confined to their homes. They are losing their livelihoods. Their sources of income are vanishing.

Whenever you come across positive news, share it with your mailing list, with your subscribers or your blog readers.

If new medicine is been discovered, let it be known to your customers and clients.

If immunity can be improved, let it be known to your customers and clients, how.

If there are examples of communities pushing back the outbreak, talk about it.

Spread positivity. Show genuine concern.

You can also share your own experience of how you’re coping with social distancing

Should you completely ditch non-coronavirus updates?

This blog post seems to say so.

Dismiss all non-virus stories out of hand. There is room for stories about other topics, just think through how they’ll be received in the current climate.

I personally believe as long as you are genuine, you can talk about anything. Of course, you have to be sensitive about the situation – not just pretend to be sensitive but be actually sensitive.

Everyone can relate to the need for carrying on. Everyone knows that the world is not ending. This dark phase is going to pass. People haven’t stopped working. They simply work from their homes.

They still have to use services. There are many products that they still need.

These days I’m continuously coming across updates on how you can use Zoom better.

I’m getting G Suite updates on how to work better from your home.

There are many cloud-based services that are promoting themselves because people need them.

More people seem to be inquiring about my content writing services because they think that while they wait at homes, they can work on improving their SEO and generate better content for their websites now that other things are on hold.

So, business, career, livelihood and marketing are realities of our times. People don’t mind marketing. But people mind if you just focus on marketing.

Instead, focus on providing help. Focus on being there. Figure out how you can help people using the business assets you have built.

Use your blog to publish useful information. Use your mailing list to disseminate useful information. Use your social media profiles to raise awareness.

We can deal with this. We will emerge victorious.

 

What types of business blogs have I been writing for as a blog writer?

Types of business blogs I have been writing for as a blog writer

Types of business blogs I have been writing for as a blog writer

Although on the Internet, while providing writing services, one has to wear different hats, by the end of the day, I’m a plain writer.

Why am I saying that? Because I have been writing for a diverse range of websites and blogs. Some of them I’m listing below:

  • Information technology blogs including programming, web hosting, blockchain development, mobile app development, software consulting and server management (many more).
  • Real estate development and realty.
  • Construction business.
  • Shipping business.
  • Fin tech and finance (including accounting, bookkeeping and taxation).
  • Garments and accessories (yes, even how to buy eveningwear and ballroom dresses).
  • Dental implants.
  • Skin care.
  • Internet marketing and search engine optimization.

and many more.

Does this make me jack of all trades and master of none?

Depends on how you look at it. My field is information technology so, it’s easier for me to write on IT, programming, app development, software development and enterprise level solutions.

Since I need to market my business on my own, and since I have been working on my own since 2004, I have developed an in-depth knowledge of Internet marketing and SEO, and consequently, I find it easier to write on related topics.

Other than these, being an experienced writer who is writing almost all the time, when I’m given a subject, I can do a decent job and sometimes, clients are even thrilled.

That is why I have been getting lots of blog writing assignments for real estate and finance.

Given an outline I can write on pretty much every topic. Even when the outline is not given, provided the information is available, I can come up with some decent work.

The main reason my clients hire me (aside from the fact that I write convincingly) is that I have gained lots of experience writing SEO content. Unlike with other writers, they don’t have to train me to write for the search engines.

My main strengths as a blog writer are:

  1. I write well with very few spelling and grammar mistakes (most of them are differences of opinion, to be frank).
  2. I write convincingly and in a conversational style.
  3. My writing can be easy-going as well as uptight, depending on the audience and the needs of the client.
  4. I write as a businessperson. From the very first word that I write to the last word that I write, the interest of the business for which I’m writing, is constantly at the back of my mind.
  5. I don’t have to make an extra effort to write search engine optimized content. I do it naturally.

What makes me a good blog writer for your blog?

Adaptability. Dependability. Sincerity. Effortlessness.

I don’t compromise on my principles.

Having said that, I totally understand that your interest needs to be of paramount importance when I’m writing your blog posts.

Hence, I strike a balance between what I want to write and what I should be writing.

I come with an attitude because I believe that a writer who does not have an attitude is either a reporter or a stenographer.

When I write, I keep two things in mind, or rather, three things:

  1. The interest of your readers – what they should gain when they read your blog post.
  2. Your interest – what you should gain when your blog post is published.
  3. SEO – how the blog post that you have published improves your search engine rankings.

This enables me to deliver just the blog posts you need for your business blog.

My English translation content writing process

My English translation content writing process

My English translation content writing process

For a few months I have been getting translation projects from my content writing website.

I wasn’t actively seeking translation assignments.

Someone from LinkedIn randomly contacted me that he would give me text in his local language. Then I could use Google Translate to make the rough translation and then refine it using my own writing.

That was a fun project. It was very easy. The matter was there right in front of me. I just had to make it better. The client was quite happy.

This encouraged me to create a dedicated section on my website offering my translation services. Whatever is the language, if it exists on Google Translate, I can do the translation.

In fact, translation work is easier than doing the regular content writing work because I don’t need to do research. The matter is already there. I just need to rewrite it in better English.

Below I am explaining my translation process.

Get the list of the pages from the client that need to be translated

Sometimes the website in the native language is already live so I just need the URLs.

When the website is not live, the client sends me the text files. I prefer plain text files in Unicode formatting so that the text can be easily used for translation.

Even if the client is using a CMS, he or she gives me access to the dashboard and from there I get all the content I need to translate.

Use Google Translate to get the rough translation

Using Google Translate for initial translation

Using Google Translate for initial translation

You must be wondering, if the text can be translated using Google Translate, what’s the need to hire my translation services?

Translation isn’t simply verbatim transition from one language into another. They’re not simply words. These words and sentences have a meaning.

The meaning is usually lost when you use mechanical translation. This is because, a mechanical translator like Google Translate cannot use emotions when rewriting the text in another language.

Sales copy, for example, is all about emotions. When you’re trying to sell from your website, do you really want to depend on a mechanical translator? No. You need convincing writing.

This, is the reason why people hire me for my translation services.

As a trained content writer and copywriter, I inject meaning into the words that I write.

I don’t translate word by word. I use my own judgement. I use my own sentences. I decide which words to use and which ones to disregard.

As a result, in many cases, what I write in English is much better than what was initially written in the native language.

Once, the client rewrote his pages in the native language according to what I had translated in English.

So, what do I do?

Once I have received the list of the URLs, I visit the individual URL and copy/paste the text into a text editor.

Then, paragraph by paragraph, I start translating.

I copy/paste the paragraph into the Google Translate box, get the gist of what has been written, and then write it using my own style.

Do I always understand what Google Translate has translated?

No, sometimes I don’t.

Due to many nuances in the native language, sometimes what Google Translate has translated doesn’t make sense.

Then I approach the client and he or she does his or her best to explain to me what is being said and then I write it using proper language.

In fact, I’m liking the translation work so much (I’m not saying I’m getting a lot of it) that I may accept a greater number of translation assignments. The best thing is, the clients are quite happy with the translation work.

It is a serendipitous turn of events.

5 qualities to look for when you need a blog writer for your business blog

Qualities to look for when you need a blog writer for your business blog

Qualities to look for when you need a blog writer for your business blog

In this blog post you are going to learn about the qualities to look for if you need to hire a dependable blog writer for your business.

What is a blog?

A blog is different from a website.

Initially blogs were like journals. People would create random entries and then publish them.

On the homepage there appears a chronological list of all the posts that have been recently published, most probably in datewise descending order, with the latest blog post appearing at the top.

In the early days the Internet hadn’t yet been commercialized. It was mostly run by volunteers or hobbyists. There were a few business websites, but most of the content published on the Internet came from people who simply liked spending time and sharing their thoughts.

Seeing the opportunity to provide a platform that would allow people to publish their thoughts easily, many companies introduced blogging platforms.

I remember in the early days, there was Blogger.com and even MovableType.

Old blogging platforms

Old blogging platforms

Many more services were started, and then came WordPress in 2003. It completely changed the way the world blogged.

WordPress is a complete blogging software that you can install under your own domain. This way, you don’t have to blog for another platform.

After the launch of WordPress, blogging took a new turn.

It became so popular that right now almost 35% of self hosted websites use WordPress as the platform. As a CMS, WordPress has captured 62% of the market share.

Why have a business blog?

Do you know that business websites that also have a blog have 434% more indexed webpages and links? Websites that have blogs get 97% more incoming links compared to those websites that don’t have a blog.

Initially, when businesses got interested in blogging, it was mainly for SEO. The structure of a blog is such that it is good for your search engine rankings provided you can publish content on regular basis.

This still remains one of the primary reasons why businesses publish blogs, but now, there are many more reasons why they do so. Some of the reasons I am describing below:

Business blogging improves SEO/search engine rankings

Business blogging improves SEO

Business blogging improves SEO

I must say that merely having a business blog doesn’t improve your SEO. What actually improves your SEO is the way you cover your topics.

For example, if I want to improve my search engine rankings with my business blog, I shouldn’t publish whatever comes to my mind.

I should stick to content writing, online copywriting, SEO, blogging and content marketing, because they are related to my field.

Your business blog helps you because the way it arranges content.

Google likes fresh content and on your blog, you publish content regularly, and hence, give Google fresh content to crawl, index and rank.

Google prefers topic density – how much you have covered your topic – and since you are continuously talking about your business field, it increases your topic density.

How much your business blog improves your SEO rests on how often you publish content, what is the frequency, and how well you cover your core topics.

Your business blog increases your brand visibility

Your business blog increases your brand visibility

Your business blog increases your brand visibility

What is brand visibility on the Internet? It means how easily people come across the name of your business or conversations around your business.

Since you give Google more content to index from your domain, more content about your domain is found on search engines and hence, you increase your brand visibility on Google.

When you publish more content and then share it on your social media profiles it gives people a reason to reach out to you, express themselves, and even repost your content on their own timelines.

Brand visibility on social media.

The more you express yourself, the more people talk about you and the more they talk about you, the greater is your brand visibility.

Your business blog gives people something to share on social media

Your business blog gives people something to share on social media

Your business blog gives people something to share on social media

This is an extension of what I have written above. People are not going to simply talk about your business on Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter just because your business exists.

Why would they bother unless they are getting something out of it?

Publishing your business blog doesn’t mean you continuously harp about how great your business is.

You publish content that helps people.

You publish content people will be interested in.

Hence, when you publish content people can make use of, content they are looking for and content that helps them, they share that content on social media.

Your business blog establishes your authority

A business blog establishes your authority

A business blog establishes your authority

As I have written above, you cannot continuously talk about how great your business is unless there is some context.

I use my business blog to talk about various content writing and blogging issues.

In this blog post I’m talking about how to hire a blog content writer if your business needs one.

What qualities to look for when you need a blog writer?

It means I know what qualities a blog writer must have to help you publish a successful business blog, and I’m sharing this knowledge with you.

This helped me establish my authority on the topic.

What’s the benefit?

Would you rather work with a novice or someone who knows what are the best qualities of a blog writer?

Your business blog brings more inbound traffic

Your business blog brings inbound traffic

Your business blog brings inbound traffic

Content marketing is all about encouraging people to come to your website or blog rather than tricking them into coming to you through advertising, which is intrusive and annoying.

Since business blogging increases your brand presence on various channels, it becomes easier for people to find you.

For many years I haven’t used advertising. All my traffic comes from either Google or other websites where my links are present. A big chunk also comes from my newsletter.

That’s all inbound traffic.

I’m not catching people off guard with my pushy advertisements.

I put up lots of content out there. People find that content. Then they come to my website.

More businesses these days are aiming for that.

Why should you hire a blog writer instead of writing for your own blog?

Why hire a blog writer?

Why hire a blog writer?

I’m covering this topic just for the sake of covering it otherwise, I never convince people into doing something they haven’t thought of or they don’t want to do.

If you want to write for your own blog then go ahead.

There is nothing to stop you.

After all, it is your own blog.

You want to hire a blog writer because you want to hire him or her. You know your need.

Clients who approach me to write for them do so for the following reasons:

  • They are looking for a better writer.
  • They are looking for a content writer or a blog writer who can write convincingly for their audience.
  • They need a blog writer who can maintain a balance between SEO writing and conversion-rich writing.
  • They need to publish content regularly and consistently.
  • They need a blog writer who can write for their industry as an expert does.
  • They need someone with a fresh perspective.

You may have your own reasons why you need to hire a writer for your business blog.

Anyway, if you plan on hiring a blog writer, listed below are some qualities you may like to look for.

5 qualities in a blog writer you may like to look for, for your business blog

5 good qualities of a blog writer

5 good qualities of a blog writer

Frankly, there are thousands of content writers and blog writers you can find on the Internet. This is good as well as bad.

Good in the sense that there is no dearth of writers you can find.

Bad in the sense that since it is so easy to find a blog writer, it is very difficult to find a good, reliable blog writer (because pretty much everyone can offer his or her services to you).

Whenever I’m pitching my own blog writing services as a content writer, what makes my clients hire me is the fact that I have a business website.

This means my stakes are higher. It makes me dependable.

I haven’t just randomly created my profile on one of the freelancing websites. I have stuck my neck out.

This doesn’t mean I am trying to put down people who get writing assignments from freelancing directories. They have their own reason. I have my own reason.

Anyway, aside from the fact that you should hire a blog writer who is really serious about his or her services, listed below are some qualities you must look for.

1. Your blog writer must have the ability to write for your audience

Your blog writer should be able to write for your audience

Your blog writer should be able to write for your audience

What does that mean?

Maybe someone is a good writer but he or she can only write in a style he or she is comfortable with.

Remember that when content is published on your business blog, people assume that you or someone representing your business, is writing for the blog.

So, your blog writer must be able to write the way the people in your industry like to read.

He or she should be able to seamlessly use and incorporate industry jargon.

It goes without saying that the writing must be error free in terms of spelling, typos and grammar.

He or she should be able to mix conversational style as well as your official “voice”.

People in your industry must be able to read your content easily but at the same time feel reassured that they are reading someone highly educated and well-versed with your industry.

The writer must also be able to understand the business side of writing because only then he or she will be empathetic towards your needs as well as the needs of your customers and clients.

2. Your blog writer must be passionate about his or her writing abilities

Your blog writer must be passionate

Your blog writer must be passionate

Why is it necessary?

First of all, as a writer I know that when one has passion, it shows through between the lines.

What you write is important, but what you don’t write but still convey is even more important, and that comes only with passion.

Second, a passionate writer does not plagiarize. Of course exceptions are always there, but a writer who is passionate about his or her writing ability will be very uncomfortable at the thought of having to depend on someone else’s writing.

3. Knowledge of SEO

Your blog writer must have working knowledge of SEO

Your blog writer must have working knowledge of SEO

Writing search engine optimized content isn’t as simple as it seems.

No matter how good a writer you are, there are thousands of factors that have a direct or indirect bearing on the SEO of your writing.

Although there is no scientific way of proving whether your writing is going to fare well on search engines, there are certain formats, certain ways of using your keywords or search terms, that can definitely improve your search engine rankings.

Your blog writer must know how to

  • Write content around your keywords.
  • Organize content in various chunks for better SEO.
  • Write Internet friendly and mobile friendly content.

One needs to maintain a balance.

Though, many SEO experts these days are saying that you shouldn’t focus much on your keywords, in the same breath they also say that the keywords matter.

Not just the keywords, but also the related words.

Your blog writer must be able to weave an interesting and engaging narrative using your keywords.

4. Your blog writer must be able to research independently

Your blog writer should be able to research independently

Your blog writer should be able to research independently

Research is very important when writing quality content. Research gives you validity.

It helps you link to authoritative sources.

For example, what are the best strategies to improve your blog’s search engine rankings? It helps you if you can link to some useful insights from an authoritative blogs such as Search Engine Land.

5. You need a blog writer who is going to be consistent

Your blog writer should be consistent

Your blog writer should be consistent

Consistency is hard to get and frankly, unless you have worked with your blog writer for a few weeks or a few months, it is impossible to know whether he or she is going to be consistent in terms of quality and deliverability or not.

Nonetheless, initial communications and a few assignments can give you at least some idea of how consistent the blog writer is going to be.

I have had personal experience with people who are very consistent when seeking work and then suddenly they vanish when I give them some work.

This is a good indication to stay away from them.

It is better if your blog writer has a stake in the work

This is something that I have mentioned above.

When you work with me, I have a stake in my business.

I have a website.

My full business depends on how I deliver.

This is my livelihood.

This is not a random profile existing on some random freelancing website.

Hence, having my own content writing business website, having my own blog writing website, makes me responsible.

Similarly, look for a blog writer who has a higher stake in the work he or she does.

Of course, these rules and qualities are not written in stone. Some blog writer may have them all and some may have just a few of them.

It is going to be your own calling.