Tag Archives: Startups

Very simple content writing strategy for startups

Simple content writing strategy for startups

Simple content writing strategy for startups.

During the Covid-19 times, lots of on-demand services startups have approached me for my content writing services.

They understand that only through-high quality, informative content, they can increase their visibility in this crowded space.

Understandably, most of the startups don’t have the budget for getting lots of content written and published.

As a result, either they end up choosing inferior content, doing more harm than good, or they abandon their project (as was my experience recently with one of the startups).

When it comes to startups, I try to be as accommodating as possible, but I must confess that during the times of the pandemic, I need to maximize my time on moneymaking projects.

Previously I could squeeze some time for less paying assignments but right now, it is becoming increasingly difficult.

Of course, there are some startups that are backed by big businesses and consequently, they have enough financial resources for high quality content writing but most of the startups are hard pressed.

This becomes a vicious cycle. How do you break the cycle?

Typical problems faced by startups and how they can be solved it quality content writing

Some problems faced by startups include

Fierce competition

Startups are big into hot markets.

As I mentioned above, due to Covid-19, there is lots of demand for home delivery apps.

Since there is lots of demand in this sector, everyone who can build an app or who has some idea of how to deliver optimally, is considering a startup, or in the process of starting up.

This gives rise to lots of competition.

For innovation, competition is good.

Competition is also good for customers because they have a greater choice.

But, it creates lots of problems for new entrepreneurs.

Big ideas are slaughtered at the altar of relentless competition.

How can content writing help you withstand competition?

Develop a unique voice.

Write in a manner (or get written in a manner) so that you stand out.

Write content about topics that are relevant to your startup idea but not many people are writing about them.

Offer a different perspective on a highly debated topic.

Take a stand.

I know, for a business, especially for a startup, taking a stand can be a risky proposition, but it can also pay you dividends if it works in your favor.

Communicate to your core audience daily through your blog and social media.

As I recently wrote, don’t worry about how long your blog posts should be.

It hardly matters.

Focus on something meaningful.

Center all your postings around an idea.

Believe me, there are so few people or businesses posting regularly, that even if you do this one single thing, you can differentiate yourself from your competitors.

A race against time

Time to market is very critical for every startup.

Although, how fast your programmers and developers can build a mobile app or a software application depends on your team, you can maintain a buzz, as advised above, by publishing regularly.

Don’t wait till your app is ready to download.

Perhaps, that will be too late.

Remember that it is not a mobile app or a cloud-based service you are excited about.

You are excited about the idea.

When you are excited about the idea, you can start sharing your idea without having to wait for the product.

One of your team members can closely coordinate with a content writer to publish daily.

I have learned one thing over the years.

As a content writer I need to charge less for writing and more for ideation.

Lots of time is spent on research and coming up with material to write about.

But, if someone from within your startup can prepare an outline in such a manner that this outline can be quickly turned into a quick blog post, it doesn’t take much time.

Saves you money. Saves you time.

Cash crunch

Frankly, every business, every organization has a “cash crunch” when it comes to paying for content writing.

Anyway, some cash crunch situations are real, especially when a couple of innovators are trying to launch a new startup on their own and they haven’t gotten any funding.

How do you deal with your cash crunch and still write and publish high-quality content?

The biggest problem entrepreneurs face is that they are too much concerned with writing and publishing something outstanding.

A few years ago, I worked with a startup entrepreneur and he was always so hellbent upon writing something “outstanding” that most of the time you are not writing anything.

This is called policy paralysis.

Of course, you must be outstanding in your approach but at the most basic level, people want their questions answered.

This is the easiest thing to achieve when you want to start writing content for your blog.

Since you know a lot about your startup idea you can answer pretty much every question about it.

Make a list of about 20 questions.

Every alternative day, write and publish a small answer to individual question.

This will give you lots of topics to cover.

As you write or as you get your content written from a content writer, new ideas begin to emerge on their own.

I have been writing for my blog for more than 15 years now and I still face this problem of coming up with ideas.

But the problem only surfaces when I have written for my blog for a few months (yes, undesirable, but happens) and when I restart, I can’t think of anything to write on.

Though, when I am in the midst of a few blog posts, the idea generating process is on autopilot.

If you want to use content marketing to promote your startup idea, writing high quality content is inescapable, indispensable.

It is like wanting to have a website without registering a domain name.

The good thing is, with little bit of innovation, cooperation and creativity, you can regularly publish high-quality content for your startup.

How to hire the best content writer for your startup

Hire a content writer for your startup

Although the startup economy is buzzing with lots of excitement and opportunities, it is also fraught with extremely high risks especially when careers and lots of money are involved. Just as every aspect of your startup is important, so is the aspect of hiring the best content writer. Ultimately it is your content that is going to drive the engine of your marketing and communicate your idea to the masses. If the content writer you hire cannot come up with compelling, informative and highly unique content, the going is going to be quite tough for your entire team, and I’m not just saying this because I myself am a content writer – I say this because I know and understand the power of content.

Why hiring a capable content writer takes a backseat especially in the case of startups?

I’m not saying this is the case with most of the startups. There are many startups that take their content seriously because they know that without communicating to their core audience they cannot hope to achieve anything, but most entrepreneurs are too obsessed with their own notion of what people want. What people want might be totally different from what you think they want so no matter how revolutionary your product is, you need to understand what people are looking for, and then offer your product or service accordingly.

Resources are scarce in the beginning. Funding is hard to come and most of the people involved with the startup are spending money out of their own pockets, so they need to be really careful about where they spend that money. Unfortunately, whereas people are ready to spend money on software, website, office space, blog setup and conventional advertising, somehow when it comes to content they think it is merely text and anybody who knows how to write sentences can create content. The effect of a lousy website and buggy software is immediate but not that of content. This is why hiring an experienced and knowledgeable content writer takes a backseat.

Why it pays to have a content writer in your startup team from the beginning?

Every startup needs an involved audience. People among this audience are going to be your pioneers – the first time users, or what they call, the early adopters. These early adopters need to feel passionate about what you are building. Before you can offer your product or service you need to build a platform from where you can broadcast your vital branding messages on an ongoing basis.

Suppose you are building an app that is totally going to change the way people use their browsers. Now, making people use another app or a software tool is always a difficult task because people are so used to using what they are already using. Why would people want to change the way they use their browsers? Even if they’re missing something or they’re not aware of the fact that they’re missing something, and even if they are aware, maybe they don’t want to accept. Whatever is the reason, it is always difficult to make people do things or see them your way. This is where your content writer helps you.

Your content writer is going to become one of your first evangelists who will passionately write about the value you aim to provide to your prospective customers and clients once you have launched your product or service. He or she will make your target audience aware of exactly what you are trying to achieve for the people. This will be achieved through:

  • Blogging
  • Highly focused ebooks
  • Interactive and engaging content on social networking websites
  • Email marketing campaigns
  • Publishing blogs and articles on other, high traffic websites and blogs
  • Case studies and white papers

All these publishing campaigns will not be effective if they are initiated just when a startup is going to launch a product or service. Your content writer requires at least 6 months of constant content generation, publishing and content marketing before you launch your product or service.

How to hire the best content writer for your startup

Here are a few pointers you should keep in mind while looking out for a content writer for your startup:

  • He or she is as passionate about your branch of technology as you are (even if he or she isn’t aware of exactly what you’re trying to achieve at that particular time)
  • He or she knows how to communicate compellingly and convincingly
  • He or she can give you a long-term commitment because often it takes some time to incubate the project and then launch
  • He or she is totally comfortable with the language used by your target audience
  • He or she totally understands the way people communicate on the Internet and the way they respond to the various content formats
  • He or she understands how critical content is for your startup
  • He or she is comfortable writing for different mediums such as blogs, social networking websites, email marketing campaigns and ebooks
  • He or she has a solid presence on the web including social networking profiles, a business website and a blog (if you don’t intend to hire the content writer on full-time basis)