On the front end, you see a final product, but it’s the result of lots of behind-the-scenes work. When you hire a content writer, we don’t just down and bang out 1000 words in an hour. We’re doing hours of research and prep before ever putting pen to paper. Here, I’ve summarized the major steps that go into a piece of content before you see the final product.
Tone and Style Analysis
Your content writer reviews your company’s branding and style documents to get a handle on your tone and style preferences. Do you prefer formal and professional or casual and laid back? If you don’t have style guides, expect questions from the writer as your project gets rolling. We’re going to need to know whether you like contractions, if you want Q&A sections. The underlying question: how do you want to present your brand to the world?
Product Research
A good content writer wants to know all about the product or service you’re selling. We’re going to delve into your product’s capabilities and specifications. If you’re selling a service, your writer wants to know what you’re offering, how it works, and what your clients will get out of it.
Target Audience Identification
Which leads us to your client or customer base. Your writer assesses your product to identify the people who will benefit from it most. We’ll work with your marketing team to determine your core and secondary audiences. When we know who we’re selling to, we can address industry-specific pain points and needs your product can fulfill.
Industry, Market, and Competitor Assessment
As part of the overall content writing strategy, we conduct in-depth research into your industry. This includes reviewing market publications and scoping out your competitors. We want to know where your competitors are winning and where they’re falling short. With this info, we can help craft a unique brand-specific take that makes you stand out.
Local Knowledge and Industry Relevance
A webpage or blog needs to do more than sell a product. Search engines, especially Google, change their algorithms frequently, especially as AI becomes more prevalent. The kind of content that sticks around is locally relevant and industry specific. A content writer knows how to create web pages and blogs with authoritative takes that establish your brand’s expertise and leadership.
SEO and GEO Analysis
Even with changing algorithms, you need search engine relevance. Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Answer Engine Optimization (AEO), and Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) are a cornerstone of any modern content marketing methodology. After all, a website isn’t much use if your potential customers can’t find it.
Google’s E-E-A-T Search Rankings
Search engine rankings and AI search relevance rely increasingly on content that meets Google’s E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) framework. The more unique insights and expertise you can provide, the more likely you are to show up in the first few pages of a Google search or be referenced in an AI blurb. Content writers are experts at creating relevant content that establishes your brand’s expertise. As part of your marketing team, content writers leverage informative content, client reviews, and other assets to boost your company’s reputation and searchability.
Grammar and Formatting
It’s wild how quickly a client loses confidence when a website has incorrect words or poor grammar. While there’s a bit of room for stylistic license, you need content that’s both correct and readable. Easy-to-read and accessible content keeps visitors engaged. In the era of smartphones, it’s also important to have content that translates well between devices. A skilled content writer knows how to manage paragraph length, headers, and lists to create skimmable content that answers questions upfront and establishes your brand’s expertise.
Collaborative Edits
Ideally, a content writer is part of a full marketing team, working closely with web design, social media managers, SEO specialists, data analysts, and marketing managers to establish a strong, resilient marketing strategy. While content writers aim to create publish-ready work, it’s important to align with the company’s vision. A good writer knows how to collaborate with all the members of a team and take suggestions on board to meet everyone’s needs. We know that a collaborative content strategy drives results.
If you’re looking for a seasoned copywriter to collaborate with your in-house team or marketing agency, I’m here to help. Reach out today to discuss how I can contribute to your brand’s success.