<img src="http://www.srv2020real.com/74680.png" style="display:none;">

Content marketing continues to grow in popularity as more businesses realize the tremendous potential of the web to build lasting customer relationships that translate into sales.

It doesn’t matter what product or service you’re selling, content marketing can work—if the content is good.

But far too much of the business marketing content online is difficult to read—either because it’s full of mistakes or simply not written well.

Content that's not written well usually doesn't achieve its marketing purpose.

With the glut of information people are exposed to these days, no one has time to grind through content that isn’t easily digestible. When people lose track of where a piece of content is going, they move on.

Considering that the knowledge you have to share is within your company, it may be tempting to try to produce the content yourself.  But in-depth knowledge and brilliant insights about a subject don’t necessarily make for compelling reading.

If you’re going to invest time, money, and resources into content marketing, you need professionally written content to get the following benefits.

1. Clarity of your expertise.  

Professional content marketing writers specialize in communicating complex subjects in a way that’s understandable to non-experts. This skill can help you establish your expertise in a way that’s clear to the people you’re trying to reach.

2. Easy-to-read content.

Professional writers carefully follow grammar and style rules because they make content easier to read and understand. Without consistent punctuation and style—as well as logical organization and smooth transitions—copy becomes confusing and “junky” feeling. When that happens, people click away. 

3. Alignment of content with marketing goals.

Good writers will learn your marketing strategies and help you plan content that achieves those strategies. They will write each piece of content to support specific marketing objectives.

4. A consistent company “story.”

Writers are storytellers, and every company has a story to tell. It’s what makes the company special, and every piece of content should reinforce that story. A writer who specializes in content marketing can help you figure out what your story is and how to best tell it.

5. The creation of trust with buyers.

When you keep sharing your expertise with buyers—and they discover that you really know what you’re talking about—you’ll eventually earn their trust, giving you an edge in winning their business. But this won’t happen without content that’s written in a way that keeps people reading.

6. Support in driving desirable behaviors.

Skilled content writers know how to encourage readers to take certain actions (download content, sign up for a newsletter, request a sales call, etc.). More generally, they know how to write content that is always nudging leads closer to sales-readiness.

7. Content that creates buzz and gets shared.  

When content is written using search engine optimization (SEO) strategies—which a content writer will certainly do—it helps the content be found. But to have the greatest impact, the content needs to be something people read and pass along. No matter how fascinating the subject, a piece of content is more likely to be shared if the writing is entertaining.

8. A professional image.

When writing is disorganized and full of blatant mistakes (e.g., inaccurate facts, misspelled words, run-on sentences), it creates an unprofessional image. It gives the impression that you don’t care about quality.

9. Freedom from doing it yourself.

Even if you’re a great writer, do you have the time to do it yourself? It’s one thing to write a blog when you feel like it; it’s quite another to write all the content necessary to make content marketing work. 

10. A fresh perspective.

As writers learn about a client’s business, they have the advantage of a more-objective perspective. They can ask questions, raise issues, and make observations that help the business clarify its marketing strategies.  

 

Image courtesty of Kristin Nador, Creative Commons.

Topics: content, strategy, customer loyalty, marketing content