We’ve all been where you may be right now – you’ve created a beautiful content marketing plan. You’re ready to launch an intricate strategy, one that’s poised to drive eyes to your website and grow organic traffic. On paper, it’s simple, crisp, even elegant. The back-end goals of keyword research and strategy click together like a lock and key.
Now: who’s gonna write it?
It’s not as simple as choosing an intern, a marketing associate, or Jenny-from-the-mailroom – although we’ve heard stories of all types of employees being chosen to write this week’s blog. And while Jenny might have an English degree, she may not be prepared to execute the strategy you and your team worked so carefully to produce.
The bottom line is that if the implementation of your content marketing plan isn’t as high of a priority as the strategy itself, you’re forgetting half your mission.
When it comes to great content, both the off-page and the on-page elements must work together to produce stunning content that converts.
Creating Your A-Team for Content Marketing Implementation
The right writer for great content needs adequate tools, and we’re not talking about a keyboard and monitor.
Your writer should have access to the following:
- Your keyword research and at least a glimpse of the overall SEO strategy
- The target audiences, or personas
- The tone of voice for the piece
In addition, they’ll need:
- Notes from, or an interview with, a subject matter expert (SME) on the topic
- A solid understanding of the product or service
Beyond these tools, the best content writer needs solid grammar and punctuation skills and the illusive ability to weave a cohesive narrative. Ideally, they are a storyteller at heart with a desire to produce compelling content.
I’m not saying Jenny-from-the-mailroom isn’t your next content-writing superstar. But without the tools to help her succeed, you’re setting her up for failure. Whomever you choose, they’ll need these tools, their own skill set, and the desire to bring your brand’s voice to the page to tell its story.
Subject Matter Experts
No writer can produce compelling content out of thin air, without input from an SME. As users’ search becomes more and more technical, it’s vital that the content they land on – your blog, for example – has the answers they seek, not just top-of-the-funnel (TOFU) content that barely scratches the surface.
Help your writer by ensuring their success. Connect them with the right expert for the piece. Guide the conversation, if needed, to ensure your writer gets the meaty parts of the topic that searchers are looking for.
Beyond the Content Writer
Every writer understands the differences between a first draft and final copy. When it comes to corporate writing, the “second set of eyes” is a crucial second step that may frequently be omitted.
All writers – all of them – need editors.
At the most basic level, an editor performs copy edits – which means that the piece is free of errors. They have a firm grasp of the content itself and the story to tell. The best editors also have an exceptional understanding of language and the ability to cut through “word salad”, trim at the sentence level for clarity, and have a firm grasp of the story arch. And in a perfect world, your editor will have access to the same tools as the writer to ensure that the piece is on point.
Enter Design
Turning a Google Doc into a visually appealing blog post, downloadable eBook, or infographic shouldn’t be left to the writer unless they are equally equipped and trained as a designer.
Good design elements will enhance the readability and engagement of the content. This means that added stock images or vector graphics help tell the story. The layout of a blog can take a block of text and turn it into a compelling layout that pulls the reader in with white space, headers, and imagery.
In addition, it’s important that all back-end elements are incorporated when blogs are posted. Alt tags for images and tagging all make a difference to the deployment of your strategy, so make sure that’s in good hands.
Distribution
Once your pieces are researched, written, edited, and designed, the next critical step is distribution.
Ideally, distribution is a part of your initial strategy. As pieces are produced, topics can be used across different platforms to help tell your brand’s story. Today, there are multiple avenues for paid content distribution, from syndicated content to native blogs to backlink articles. In addition, social media campaigns, including paid social, can help share your message.
The possibilities are almost endless in the digital world. Sharing content from podcasts and webinars reaches new audiences beyond social media. Encouraging sharing on platforms like TikTok and YouTube, where you can reach millions if your product or services are the right match.
Newsletters, email drip campaigns, and nurture campaigns are also great ways to get the right content in front of the right potential buyer at the right time in their buying journey.
Whichever distribution mode you choose, remember that the most important part is your message itself. Well-written content with a purpose can go miles farther than “content for the sake of content.” Target your audience and be consistent, and that content can go a long, long way.
Benefits of a Content Agency
The greatest benefit of a copywriting or content marketing agency is that most will provide you with all of these pieces to your content marketing puzzle. No need to hire a full department. The right content agency will already have the staff ready to scale with you as you grow your content marketing strategy.
Working with a team of experts who specialize in different areas of content creation is a game changer when it comes to compelling storytelling. Instead of hiring, training, and maintaining an in-house team for your brand, the right content marketing agency can assure you of high-quality content that aligns with your brand’s voice and goals. Most agencies – if they want to keep your business – will work with you as an extension of your team. They’ll know your personas as well as you do and can produce content that targets those audience goals.
The right content agency for you will also be flexible and scalable and will work with you and your team to help you reach your goals based on your business needs and your budget. Most agencies work on both projects and long-term retainer agreements.
Ready to Find an Expert Partner?
Implementing your content marketing strategy takes more than a carousel of writers to pick up a blog each week. For a successful on-page storytelling journey, you’ll need a team. The writer, your SME, an editor, a designer, and a plan for distribution will ensure your content finds not only an audience but the right audience for your story.
Content Workshop loves working with small marketing teams with big ideas and dreams. We help put those dreams into action. We offer:
- Brand Identity Workshops
- Content Strategy and Implementation
- Stand-alone Strategy Development
- Web Design and Development
We work in everything from tech to lifestyle, from cybersecurity to healthcare. We love SaaS clients of all sizes. Helping you grow your brand is what we do.
If you’re looking for the right writer for your content implementation, check us out. We’d love to help you tell your story.
