August 13, 2018 Content Chat Recap: The Perils of Ghostwriting and How to Overcome Them—In-house Writer Edition

August 27, 2018 by Erika Heald Leave a Comment

If you think all those executives whose names you see on OpEds and contributed articles across the web all actually wrote the pieces their bylines appear on, it’s time to introduce you to the in-house ghostwriter. In this week’s #ContentChat we talked about the challenges of being an in-house ghostwriter with Martin Lieberman (@martinlieberman).

Q1: For those not familiar with it, what is ghostwriting in a company setting? What kind of things are you writing, and for whom?

Ghostwriting is helping a subject matter expert express their ideas by pairing them with a professional writer.

A1 Ghostwriting is, basically, translating execs’/SMEs’ expertise and POV, and our company messaging, into blog posts, white papers and other external-facing content. I do that, and also ghostwrite social media posts and internal emails for our senior leaders. #contentchat
— Martin Lieberman (@martinlieberman) August 13, 2018

A1: Internal ghostwriting often comes in the form of supporting internal thought leaders. It can range from white papers to social media updates to internal talks about the direction of the company. This can be for sales people, HR leaders or CEOs… really anyone. #contentchat
— Maureen Jann (@SuperDeluxeMo) August 13, 2018

A1a: In a perfect world, being an in-house ghostwriter means you collaborate with company leaders to craft compelling content and communications. #ContentChat https://t.co/N926IP5uTv
— Erika Heald | Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) August 13, 2018

A1b: In the less awesome cases, you are someone fielding requests such as “write me a blog post on Topic X and some Tweets” and crafting content from scratch that someone else’s name goes on. #ContentChat https://t.co/V3e000ywzG
— Erika Heald | Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) August 13, 2018

A1 Yes, but I would add: writers “interpret” (give context) and/or “harmonize” thoughts of senior leaders (make them sound better). Not just in social media, but via speeches, etc. #contentchat https://t.co/CHOQWlWmQy
— Judy Gombita (@jgombita) August 13, 2018

August 6, 2018 Content Chat Recap: So You Want to Be a Freelance Content Creator

August 13, 2018 by Erika Heald Leave a Comment

This week’s #ContentChat was all about the ins and outs of being a freelance content creator. We had 10 quick prepared questions, covering things I think every freelancer needs to know, and then opened up the conversation for a freelancer ask-me-anything. Have a question about freelance content marketing work that I didn’t cover here? Ask me your question in the comments! In addition to having been a freelance #B2C and #B2B content creator throughout my career, I’ve also hired and managed a number of freelancers throughout the years. So feel free to ask me questions from either perspective.

Freelance FAQs

Q1: I want to freelance in the same field as my current job. What do I need to know before I get started?

Take a look at your current employment contract.

A1: Make sure you understand your current work contract. Some employers prohibit you from moonlighting in the same role or industry, while others allow it but only if you receive prior written permission. #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) August 6, 2018

As I understand it, this is the way it is for me. The problem I’ve had is never getting clearance to do any freelancing — even outside the industry. #ContentChat
— Jason Webb (@JasonLWebb) August 6, 2018

A1 Keep. Your. Job. In your free time, try to find a client or two, and then a few. Also: make sure that your manager is OK with you freelancing. #contentchat
— Ken Gordon (@quickmuse) August 6, 2018

A1: One thing I’d say is that sometimes you can convince your employer to hire you back as a freelancer. #contentchat pic.twitter.com/N328PXaKng
— Michelle Garrett (@PRisUs) August 6, 2018

Identify a content creation gap only you can fill. Do your homework!

A1: Where are the gaps in your field? Your freelancing should fill those soundly. That’s instant differentiation among the competition (those bums). #ContentChat pic.twitter.com/foGz7IFEgh
— Shawn Paul Wood (@ShawnPaulWood) August 6, 2018

A1. Commit to begin, and research the how’s and why’s of what opportunities and put a plan in place. Get busy! #ContentChat
— Dr. Dorrie Cooper (@sittingpretty61) August 6, 2018

Yes! Keep an eye on those job listings that linger or keep coming back up. What are those really hard-to-fill roles that you can help with? #ContentChat https://t.co/KdXucL5B5F
— Erika Heald | Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) August 6, 2018

A1: Can you validate your services offering with anyone currently in your network? #ContentChat
— Holly Miller | Marketing & Content Strategy (@millertime_baby) August 6, 2018

Not everyone is cut out for the freelance life. Ask yourself these questions to assess your readiness.

A1: Ask yourself, is your there a need for your job? Can you work outside of an office? Do you have a strategy? #ContentChat
— Brandie McCallum (@lttlewys) August 6, 2018

July 30, 2018 Content Chat Recap: Marketing and Content Attribution

August 5, 2018 by Erika Heald Leave a Comment

Although digital marketing brings with it an unprecedented ability to measure marketing’s effectiveness, it’s not without its challenges. Many marketers struggle with accurately tracking and attributing content’s role in moving leads through the sales funnel. That’s why we brought the #ContentChat community together this week to talk about content marketing attribution.

Q1: Let’s start by getting on the same page. Within the context of digital marketing, what is attribution?

Attribution is how you give credit to the marketing activities that drive to sales.

A1: Google defines attributions as “set of rules, that determines how credit for sales and conversions is assigned to touchpoints in conversion paths.” https://t.co/lZDAISgnBQ #contentchat
— Maureen Jann (@SuperDeluxeMo) July 30, 2018

A1b: What’s really important about attribution is that businesses need take into account all of the interactions a potential customer has with your brand to understand what’s actually working. #contentchat
— Maureen Jann (@SuperDeluxeMo) July 30, 2018

A1: In simple terms, Attribution = Showing who drove what. #ContentChat https://t.co/IgqbopsU3t
— Amy Higgins (@amywhiggins) July 30, 2018

A2c: In my opinion, the heart of attribution is about each interaction with your brand over time creates a cumulative sense of trust that helps a customer take the next step with you. #contentchat
— Maureen Jann (@SuperDeluxeMo) July 30, 2018

Attribution documents the stops along the buyer’s journey.

A1 Think of marketing like a road map and attribution like the turns your customer takes in order to reach the point of purchase. #contentchat
— Bill Skowronski (@BillSkowronski) July 30, 2018

Agreed. This is why last touch only attribution makes me so unhappy. The first and last touches are important but so much can happen between those two points! #ContentChat https://t.co/sdHlbN5TmM
— Erika Heald | Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) July 30, 2018

A1: A tricky part of attribution: figuring out how to distribute credit across the customer’s purchase path (across content types, devices, channels & time) for the end result. #contentchat
— Shelly Lucas (@pisarose) July 30, 2018

A1: Attribution – the art of justifying the contribution of a piece of content to the act of moving a customer along the pipeline to conversion. Very often to senior execs who still think cold- calling is the key to closing. 😉#contentchat
— Amy Card (@amy_card89) July 30, 2018

July 23, 2018 Content Chat Recap—Community Conversation: Where Ephemeral Content Fits in to Your Content Marketing Strategy

July 29, 2018 by Erika Heald Leave a Comment

Ephemeral content—some sort of rich media (usually images or videos) that are only available for a short amount of time before disappearing—came up as a topic our #ContentChat community wanted to learn more about. So this week, we led a community conversation to find out more about how people are—or aren’t—using it as part of their content marketing strategy.

#ContentChat POLL: Which of the following ephemeral content types are you most regularly consuming:
— Erika Heald | Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) July 23, 2018

Facebook and Instagram Stories were by far the most popular channels for ephemeral content, with Snapchat coming in last by a significant margin.

Let’s start with a shared definition of ephemeral content: ephemeral content is some sort of rich media (usually images or videos) that are only available for a short amount of time before disappearing. #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) July 23, 2018

Q1: With this definition in mind, what types of ephemeral content are you currently producing as part of your brand content marketing strategy?

Livestreams are making their way into B2B content marketing plans.

A1: I’ve been part of a few livestreams as part of my brand marketing activities. I’ve done a littl3 bit of dabbling in IG and FB stories, but haven’t quite figured out how I can make best use of them for my content marketing. #ContentChat https://t.co/IxwloEF3nb
— Erika Heald | Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) July 23, 2018

A1: I did some livestreams (Periscope) at events, too. I’m curious how the IG and FB stories work for brands? #ContentChat
— Andrea VassalloMeyer (@andreamv) July 23, 2018

Polls are gaining in popularity across all the ephemeral channels. And as ephemeral content on Twitter too.

A1 Polls and questions have been effective on IG stories. Polling on Facebook works but I would say use an image o gif so it pops up in the feed. #ContentChat pic.twitter.com/s3mSKCRoqh
— Annoyin’ Observer (@SirKingofGifs) July 23, 2018

Ephemeral content can act as a promo or trailer for your content marketing efforts.

A1: I agree with you Erika as content marketing is not about content that disappears after a while. Maybe these stories can be used as a teaser. #ContentChat
— Wayne Hendry (@ideakid88) July 23, 2018

I like the idea of having promotional content have a short shelf-life so that when someone new comes to your feed the static content is evergreen. #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) July 23, 2018

Conferences provide multiple opportunities for ephemeral content.

A1. We produce @instagram stories as part of our #brand #content #marketing strategy, especially for conference coverage. #ContentChat
— SourceMedia (@SourceMediaCo) July 23, 2018

While Twitter chats engagement window makes them ephemeral, our community is split on whether they count, thanks to recaps like the one you are reading right now.

A1: Lately we’ve spending a lot of time engaging with amazing #TwitterChat groups like this one! #ContentChat
— Crowdlinker (@crowdlinker) July 23, 2018

A1 So does a twitter chat count as ephemeral content? #ContentChat
— Derek Pillie (@derekpillie) July 23, 2018

@martinlieberman I’d agree with you – plus most of that chats I am in live on in blog post recaps that become permanent content. #ContentChat
— Derek Pillie (@derekpillie) July 23, 2018

IG Stories can be an integral part of your Instagram engagement strtaegy.

A1: Our agency typically incorporates Instagram Story into any content strategy that includes Instagram for our clients as well as ourselves. It is a great way to keep audiences engaged and the client top of mind. #ContentChat https://t.co/xVb5Gex6oY
— Power Digital (@PwrDigMarketing) July 23, 2018

A1: Instagram stories. Our brand’s target audience is too old for Snapchat, but we have a key audience demographic that is very active on Instagram. #contentchat
— Caitlin Kinser (@caitlinmarie89) July 23, 2018

Many of us are still trying to determine if ephemeral content has a place in our content mix.

A1: I’m occasionally using stories on Instagram but I have a hard time seeing the value of the short term content and I don’t have the resources (yet) to come up with the engaging content that might be more effective from a relationship-development standpoint. #ContentChat
— Derek Pillie (@derekpillie) July 23, 2018

Q2: For those of you who have been producing ephemeral content, what are you seeing as the benefits to your business?

IG Stories aren’t just for awareness—they can drive leads, too.

A2: As an agency, we’ve used Instagram Story ads as a very successful tool for our internal lead gen efforts for new business. We’ve seen great response to this short form content versus long form video efforts. #ContentChat https://t.co/Pp3Y0lz7Uj
— Power Digital (@PwrDigMarketing) July 23, 2018

Ephemeral content allows brands to try out new ideas and less formal content without detracting from the brand.

A2. It doesn’t have to be as uniform as the rest of your #content. You’re not messing up your @instagram aesthetic if you post a story, especially since it disappears, so a #brand can use it to experiment. #ContentChat
— SourceMedia (@SourceMediaCo) July 23, 2018

A2: Some of our clients have had success using IG stories to test out new post styles/formats, increase discoverability through trending hashtags, stay top-of-mind without clogging up user feeds #contentchat
— Crowdlinker (@crowdlinker) July 23, 2018

Ephemeral content can make your social channels a must-visit stop more frequently.

Agreed. But I also like the idea of ephemeral content being used to create urgency, relevancy, and timeliness. Makes the idea of social much more real-time because if you miss it … it’s gone! #contentchat
— Martin Lieberman (@martinlieberman) July 23, 2018

A2: Big benefit: promoting timely content (meeting and event registrations, submission deadlines, etc.) without that then living in your feed after the dates have passed. #contentchat
— Caitlin Kinser (@caitlinmarie89) July 23, 2018

Q3: For those of you who aren’t creating ephemeral content, what has been your barrier or point of resistance in doing so?

B2B marketing has a long sales cycle, which makes having a storehouse of evergreen content take priority over ephemeral content.

A3 We know our audience/community isn’t a real-time social audience, and our sales process is very long-tail. So our content needs to have a shelf life and be evergreen. #contentchat
— Martin Lieberman (@martinlieberman) July 23, 2018

Too many things to do and not enough time.

A3: For me, it’s really just come down to time. As a solopreneur, I have to spread my business development time pretty far so ephemeral content has seemed less important than evergreen content. #ContentChat https://t.co/K0cbyTe6IR
— Erika Heald | Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) July 23, 2018

A3. There’s a lot of #content ideas I have that haven’t got to the top of my priority list yet. Evergreen content seems to rise higher, ephemeral content is way down the list. #contentchat
— Tod Cordill, MBA (@todcordill) July 23, 2018

A3: So far the right context hasn’t popped up for me yet. I have to train myself to ask the question: Does ephemeral content make sense in this context? How does it add value? I don’t want to do it for the sake of doing it. #ContentChat
— Maureen Jann (@SuperDeluxeMo) July 23, 2018

Industries with significant compliance burdens may not be able to move quickly enough to make ephemeral content happen.

A3 I think the spontaneity of it all keeps it an enigma for some larger more traditional companies..#IMHO #ContentChat
— Shruti Deshpande (@shruti12d) July 23, 2018

A3: Maintaining a proper editorial calendar for stories can be overwhelming. The immediate-posting nature of story content can be an issue for larger orgs that require sign-off at specific stages of content creation and distribution #contentchat
— Crowdlinker (@crowdlinker) July 23, 2018

Q4: What are some examples of brands turning ephemeral content into a real brand benefit? Share links if possible, including some of your own content.

A4a: @Nasa has a number of interesting IG stories: https://t.co/bSL1QppcUc #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) July 23, 2018

A4b: The folks @Sephora do a lot of fun IG stories highlighting their new products. https://t.co/3si0og19He #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) July 23, 2018

A4c: @lushcosmetics goes live on Instagram for fun Q&A sessions, and regularly posts IG stories. https://t.co/Bw1u3vqno9 #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) July 23, 2018

A4: The recent addition of the ‘Ask a Question’ feature to IG stories is HUGE for user research and test marketing. Any brands not using this are missing out. #ContentChat
— Crowdlinker (@crowdlinker) July 23, 2018

A4 I haven’t taken any screenshots but I do love Converse and not going to lie some of their stories/ads have intrigued me to purchase #ContentChat
— Annoyin’ Observer (@SirKingofGifs) July 23, 2018

A4) I don’t have any links, but I remember watching some IG stories for Fashion Tech Week in Silicon Valley, and it was pretty cool so catch glimpses of panel discussions and behind-the-scenes fashion show set-up. #contentchat
— Roxanne (@rescuemom_nyc) July 23, 2018

A4: I’ve seen numerous beauty brands use Insta Stories to display how to use new products followed by a swipe up to shop. Here you’re getting instant sales–particularly when a sense of urgency is included like stating that it’s a “limited edition” product. #contentchat
— Caitlin Kinser (@caitlinmarie89) July 23, 2018

I saw @lushcosmetics using that functionality on IG in a livestream today I think. #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) July 23, 2018

A4: For clients, we’ve seen huge success with our interactive Instagram stories that encourage a reshare and have seen increased follower growth as a result. It also helps us generate UGC for our content calendars. Here’s an example for one of our clients #ContentChat pic.twitter.com/DDkftCXpJz
— Power Digital (@PwrDigMarketing) July 23, 2018

July 16 Content Chat Recap: The Role of SEO in Content in 2018

July 21, 2018 by Erika Heald Leave a Comment

During our mid-year check-in, #ContentChat participants asked for additional conversations on SEO. This week we held the first of those conversations, with special guest, Emilie Moreland (@writtenbyemilie). Here’s what we covered.

Q1: Why is it important for me, as a content marketer/creator to pay attention to SEO?

Most content is consumed thanks to a search engine query. SEO is what ensures your content will be served up.

A1: If you write anything for the web, SEO should play a role in it. I saw a stat recently that over 90% of online sessions begin with a search engine. If you don’t show up in these search results, users won’t know you exist. #ContentChat 1/2
— Emilie Moreland (@writtenbyemilie) July 16, 2018

A1: Another statistic worth noting from @HubSpot is that 75% of users never look past page 1 of SERPS. If you don’t pay attention to SEO, you have little chance of showing up there. And with the growth of mobile search, this trend is likely to increase. #ContentChat 2/2
— Emilie Moreland (@writtenbyemilie) July 16, 2018

SEO is the key to content distribution.

A1 #SEO isn’t really that important for content creators….unless you want your content found and read by your target audience. #ContentChat
— Bill Skowronski (@BillSkowronski) July 16, 2018

A1 To get found!!! If you need people to read your content you need to be where they are looking and #SEO will get you there…#ContentChat
— Shruti Deshpande (@shruti12d) July 16, 2018

A1 Do you want the content you create to be found? Then you should pay attention to SEO. Just that simple. #contentchat
— Martin Lieberman (@martinlieberman) July 16, 2018

SEO allows you to measure content performance and success.

A1: It’s how we measure the success of our content. But a topic I continue to find challenging. #contentchat
— Michelle Garrett (@PRisUs) July 16, 2018

A1: SEO is important for discovery of your answers to the questions of your intended audience. #ContentChat https://t.co/WRyNw7jexV
— Amy Higgins (@amywhiggins) July 16, 2018

A1: As a content creator you should know the impact your content can have on inbound traffic via search. Write with that in mind, keep keywords in mind, and keep up the volume and quality. #contentchat
— Josh McCormack (@joshmccormack) July 16, 2018

SEO is how you own your content traffic.

A1: You can “rent” traffic by purchasing advertising that drives attention to what you write, but you can “own” traffic” when you pay attention to SEO because that will dictate how people find your content long-term. #ContentChat
— Derek Pillie (@derekpillie) July 16, 2018

SEO helps you attract your ideal audience to your content.

A1: You want as many eyes on your content as possible…as many of the RIGHT eyes, that is! The better your SEO, the higher the chance of your target audience finding your content and entering your funnel. #ContentChat
— Caitlin Kinser (@caitlinmarie89) July 16, 2018

Q2: Are SEO & content competitors? Doesn’t a focus on SEO conflict with my ability to create great content?

What’s good for content marketing is also good for SEO.

A2: In 2018, I don’t think they are. Google is no longer solely scanning for keywords and links, but looking at the whole topic, UX, UI, supplementary content, quality of the content (and writing itself). Therefore, what is good for content is also good for SEO. #ContentChat
— Emilie Moreland (@writtenbyemilie) July 16, 2018

A2: It can feel like #contentmarketing and #SEO are frenemies but only when you are dealing with outmoded, keyword-stuffing notions of how to do SEO. #ContentChat https://t.co/c82Jkuzqfx
— Erika Heald | Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) July 16, 2018

SEO helps your ideal audience self-select for the right content at the right time.

A2a. Nope! Great content is relevant to what people are looking for. SEO helps them determine whether your content is relevant by answering their questions in language that makes sense to them. #ContentChat https://t.co/sBaxQT3wkn
— Carmen Hill (@carmenhill) July 16, 2018

A2: I think the divide between “SEO” & “Content” is not as wide as many perceive it. Search engines want to serve up content that is relevant to their searchers. Writers will create content that talks about what the subject is. SEO Makes the connection between them. #ContentChat
— Derek Pillie (@derekpillie) July 16, 2018

A2b. SEO & creativity are not mutually exclusive. I believe good writing is about understanding your reader and serving them with clarity, style and grace. #contentchat
— Carmen Hill (@carmenhill) July 16, 2018

SEO and content marketing can be BFFs, but it takes some work.

A2: No, but they can take careful collaboration. Ex.: If you want video content, you’re going to have to make allowances for text in order to have good SEO. Both content & SEO should focus on user intent, but the technical nature of SEO MUST be addressed. #ContentChat
— Rebekah Meyer (@RebekahLMeyer) July 16, 2018

A2b I do think that writers who have more of an analytical mindset find SEO concepts less challenging than writers with a more creative mindset because there is this perception that SEO restricts the creativity of the content creator. #ContentChat
— Derek Pillie (@derekpillie) July 16, 2018

Q3: Fine. There’s no getting around the importance of #SEO for #contentmarketing. If I’m an experienced writer but new to SEO. What do I need to know?

Start by involving your internal content creators.

A3. Know there are plenty of experts (your internal marketing team, or people who will consult) and tools (free!) that can help you. Check blogs, play with Google’s adwords tool, etc #contentchat https://t.co/L9mAV2IQDO
— allison ryder (@allisonryder) July 16, 2018

Aim for the long-tail search.

A3: That 50% of search queries are four words or longer. #ContentChat
— Leah Hunt (@Leah_Hunt_PR) July 16, 2018

The better you know your content audience, the better performing your SEO.

A3 A deep understanding of your target audience’s needs, search terms and your own brand’s existing content is a good place to start. #ContentChat
— Bill Skowronski (@BillSkowronski) July 16, 2018

Get friendly with the relevant metadata.

A3: There is a lot to learn so take one piece at a time. Start with the basics and learn how to optimize the metadata and content on a page. Prioritize 10 pages, then measure the impact. Once you positively impact these pages, make a plan to optimize more broadly. #ContentChat
— Emilie Moreland (@writtenbyemilie) July 16, 2018

Where you use your keywords is just as important as how often you use them.

A3: Where you use keywords in your content is as important as how many times you use the keywords. For a keyword to make an impact, you’ll want it in the URL, headline, and a subhead in addition to the body copy. And don’t forget the image alt text! #ContentChat https://t.co/yuQx9i06fZ
— Erika Heald | Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) July 16, 2018

SEO connects your content.

I like the “SEO as a connection” concept.
Th/ere are many more uses for content past the Awareness stage that search engines help with. #Content uses:
– Awareness
– Nurturing propects
– Sales Enablement
– Onboarding
– Ongoing relationship building #contentchat https://t.co/djLGT9usKA
— Tod Cordill, MBA (@todcordill) July 16, 2018

Invest in keyword research.

A3: Make sure that your keywords are the “right” keywords. Pull your website analytics and google adwords results to understand what search terms people are associating with your brand and then look for areas for growth. #contentchat
— Caitlin Kinser (@caitlinmarie89) July 16, 2018

A3. I think the hardest thing, whether you’re new to SEO or not, is determining what the keywords/phrases should be. You have to express things as the audience would, not the way your product positioning is worded. Connecting those dots comes later, in your content. #ContentChat https://t.co/hu8x4I5g91
— Carmen Hill (@carmenhill) July 16, 2018

A3: you need to know what people are searching for & what content you have that meets their needs. Export your Queries from Google Search Console. Export your top 10 Landing Pages in Google Analytics. Evaluate your content and what’s ranking to improve your top pages #Contentchat
— Holly Miller | Marketing & Content Strategy (@millertime_baby) July 16, 2018

Treat Google like a reader—not your robot overlord.

A3: I vote to go for the long view- where is Google at on the spectrum of understanding language… and where it’s going. As a word person, I can adapt my language to my reader. Even if one of my readers is Google. I just have to understand it. #contentchat
— Rebekah Meyer (@RebekahLMeyer) July 16, 2018

I love the idea of thinking of Google as another reader your content needs to address, versus seeing them as the master gatekeeper you are trying to convince to let your content pass. #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) July 16, 2018

Be prepared to test and learn what works for you from an SEO standpoint.

A3 I like the idea of targeting one page/section/strategic objective at a time and building around that and evaluating your progress. Just remember that SEO magic doesn’t usually happen overnight! Patience and discipline are critical. #ContentChat
— Derek Pillie (@derekpillie) July 16, 2018

Q4: How many keywords is too many keywords to try to optimize a page of content for?

Keyword stuffing is bad—don’t do it!

A4: Bottom line: Keyword stuffing is bad. There is no hard and fast rule about how many keywords a page can be optimized for, but it needs to read naturally. Your keywords should blend into your words, not stick out saying, “KEYWORD HERE! KEYWORD HERE!” #ContentChat 1/2
— Emilie Moreland (@writtenbyemilie) July 16, 2018

Target your keywords.

A4: Keywords in online articles are like hashtags in tweets–keep them focused and targeted. Focus in on one keyword/phrase that you want to optimize and then support with a few others that are other ways people might search for that main topic. #ContentChat
— Caitlin Kinser (@caitlinmarie89) July 16, 2018

A4: Any more than is necessary to adequately discuss the topic at hand. Google knows how to recognize synonyms and related keywords, so using a specific keyword a bunch is no longer important #contentchat
— Kristen Hicks (@atxcopywriter) July 16, 2018

Optimize your content by topic not keyword.

A4: Pages should actually be optimized for a topic now, as opposed to a keyword. Keywords are still important, but the point is to take user intent and context into account as well. Don’t just blindly use a keyword because it has a high search volume. #ContentChat 2/2
— Emilie Moreland (@writtenbyemilie) July 16, 2018

Q5: How do I keep my SEO optimized content to still sound like it was written for people and not robots?

Hire an experienced, creative professional writer who understands SEO.

A5: This is where creativity has to step in. It’s worth it for brands to hire a quality, talented writer (or multiple writers) to make this content as engaging as possible. It’s simply the truth that not everyone can write great content that it also optimized. #ContentChat
— Caitlin Kinser (@caitlinmarie89) July 16, 2018

Treat those keywords as a guideline, not an iron-clad rule.

A5: I suggest you begin by letting your keywords guide your topic, not dictate the words you will use. Then go back and see if it makes sense to add specific words in that weren’t included on the first pass. #ContentChat
— Emilie Moreland (@writtenbyemilie) July 16, 2018

A5 This is why they pay us. I usually write for tone and effectiveness first, then try to make sure H1 and a few other places support the topic, but it’s kind of an art IMHO #ContentChat
— Dan Goldberg (@Jonas419) July 16, 2018

Make sure to write for your personas—not the robots—first and foremost.

A5 I think it’s important that you don’t treat GoogleBot or BingBot as a persona. I agree with @writtenbyemilie that you should edit your document with an eye for SEO keyword opportunities after its been written with your customer personas in mind. #ContentChat
— Derek Pillie (@derekpillie) July 16, 2018

Q6: Should I just hire someone to manage SEO? Or do I need to have all my content creators understand and optimize for it?

It’s important to have in-house SEO expertise.

A6: If you have the budget for it, someone with SEO expertise in the company is ideal because there are on-page and off-page factors to consider. Either way, it is best that all writers have at least a basic understanding of how their content should be optimized. #ContentChat
— Emilie Moreland (@writtenbyemilie) July 16, 2018

A6. Probably depends on the size of your company/team. If you’re putting out content that needs to be found through organic search, a dedicated resource might help. Either way, everyone should know basic best practices IMO. #contentchat
— allison ryder (@allisonryder) July 16, 2018

A6 Totally a question of company type/size, budget and staff. As @RebekahLMeyer said earlier, just don’t expect someone to apply magic dust on your garbage pile and turn it into #SEO gold. #ContentChat
— Bill Skowronski (@BillSkowronski) July 16, 2018

It can be helpful to have an external SEO strategy specialist.

A6: Both. Or at least, there should be someone thinking about SEO at the strategy level, along with content creators knowing at least the basics #ContentChat
— Kristen Hicks (@atxcopywriter) July 16, 2018

A6: Some balance of both if possible. Anyone creating content should have an understanding of how SEO works, so that an SEo specialist doesn’t need to re-create every piece of content for your site. #ContentChat
— Caitlin Kinser (@caitlinmarie89) July 16, 2018

A6 If you have a writing team it might be good to have an SEO strategist involved with the editing process. Writers should know about SEO but my if you force a change on a writer’s style they tend to rebel. Find a path that makes sense and produces the best result. #ContentChat
— Derek Pillie (@derekpillie) July 16, 2018

Q7: Today’s #SEO must-do is tomorrow’s Google penalty. How do I keep up with the latest and greatest SEO tactics?

Keep a focus on content relevance. Relevant content will never be penalized.

A7: Create content for your audience and focus on relevance. Those have always been the most important things for SEO. But also keep an eye on SEO trends over time so you know when and how to tweak your strategy. #Contentchat
— Kristen Hicks (@atxcopywriter) July 16, 2018

A7 Relevant content is absolutely key to #SEO and so make the connection with the audience via your content..This will never be penalised #ContentChat
— Shruti Deshpande (@shruti12d) July 16, 2018

Don’t chase SEO gimmicks—stay the course.

A7: Don’t go chasing waterfalls. Stick to the rivers and the lakes that Google tells you to.
Real talk: any legit tactic won’t be penalty bait tomorrow. Just don’t be fooled by the get-rich-quick SEO schemes out there. That’s then you set yourself up for danger. #ContentChat
— Rebekah Meyer (@RebekahLMeyer) July 16, 2018

Keep an eye on SEO industry publishers like these:

A7: SEO does change rapidly and there is so much info out there that it can be overwhelming. I find that following a couple of knowledgeable blogs is a good way to keep up.
A couple of my favorites: @Moz @Searchmetrics #ContentChat
— Emilie Moreland (@writtenbyemilie) July 16, 2018

This post can also help 😉 (at least for now) https://t.co/HeDIB5SyD9 #contentchat
— Kristen Hicks (@atxcopywriter) July 16, 2018

A7: Read, read, read! Follow the business blogs of sites like Google, Facebook and Twitter; Sign up for email newsletters; Be active in LinkedIn groups. It’s your own responsibility to take your continuing education seriously. #ContentChat
— Caitlin Kinser (@caitlinmarie89) July 16, 2018

July 9 Content Chat Recap: How to Create a More Compelling Content Experience (And Why You Should)

July 15, 2018 by Erika Heald Leave a Comment

As a content marketing consultant, I’m frequently asked what the next big thing in content marketing is going to be. Right now, it’s “content experience”. With that in mind, we asked Uberflip CMO Randy Frisch to be our guest on #ContentChat and share why it’s the next big thing to focus on. Here’s a recap of the conversation.

Q1: recently, there’s been increasing conversation around the top of “content experience”, with the Content Pros podcast, which you co-host, even changing its name to “Conex: The Content Experience Show.” So, what is content experience?

A1: Content experience is:
✔️ The environment in which your content lives
✔️ Its structure
✔️ How it compels your audience to engage
You can have the best content in the world, but it’s the overall experience that’s really going to pull your audience in. #ContentChat 1/2 pic.twitter.com/4FhHJ8K9W0
— Randy Frisch (@randyfrisch) July 9, 2018

A1: The content experience seems like something that @annhandley likes to talk about… its’ about considering your customer in every nook and cranny of your writing. Ensure that if there are words, it works towards building a positive experience. #ContentChat
— Maureen Jann (@SuperDeluxeMo) July 9, 2018

As for the podcast name change, we’ve all figured out how to create content. We wanted to start talking about using it in a meaningful way that drives results. 2/2 #ContentChat
— Randy Frisch (@randyfrisch) July 9, 2018

A1: The full Content Experience takes into consideration not only the piece of content itself, but also the context and environment in which it will be consumed. There are a lot of factors that contribute to the audience’s reaction beyond just the piece itself. #contentchat
— Caitlin Kinser (@caitlinmarie89) July 9, 2018

A1) from a digital product studio perspective, building a good content experience is developing an information architecture and content strategy that is in sync with the intended user’s ultimate goal 🎯 #ContentChat
— Crowdlinker (@crowdlinker) July 9, 2018

Q2: How does content experience differ from or relate to content marketing, and why should marketers shift their focus? What are its benefits?

A2: Content experience takes #contentmarketing to the next level. It goes beyond simply creating content and focuses on how we can use it to engage prospects at all stages of the buyer journey, including for #ABM and lead gen. #ContentChat
— Randy Frisch (@randyfrisch) July 9, 2018

A2: Content marketing is the “what”, content experience is the “how”. When marketers think through the whole process, the customer sees the right message, in the right format, on the right platform. #ContentChat
— Maureen Jann (@SuperDeluxeMo) July 9, 2018

A2: Content experience puts the user’s interests at the forefront and often includes their input as part of the package. Marketing is more from the seller’s perspective. #ContentChat
— [{ Danielle in Code }] (@quantbarbie) July 9, 2018

A2: Experience is a huge part of marketing. Content or straight-forward. A marketer and content-creator must always consider the experience/context when developing a piece. Delivery methods are integral to content planning. #contentchat
— Caitlin Kinser (@caitlinmarie89) July 9, 2018

Q3: Is content experience the new customer experience?

A3: According to @Gartner_inc, orgs are now 57% of the way through the purchase decision process before they engage with a sales rep. Your content experience is an opportunity to ensure prospects feel taken care of in the research stage of the buying cycle. #ContentChat
— Randy Frisch (@randyfrisch) July 9, 2018

A3: This one is definition dependent, in my opinion. Customer dip into a brand’s stream to grab content, but is that the whole of the experience? I don’t think so… #ContentChat
— Maureen Jann (@SuperDeluxeMo) July 9, 2018

A3: They’re not the same, but content experience is a big part of customer experience. I don’t think one can entirely replace the other. #contentchat https://t.co/w7ppBSmXOZ
— Kobie D. Christian (@Ko_bc) July 9, 2018

A3: It depends on the product/service that you are offering, but for the most part I say no. The Content Experience should shepherd the customer into a purchasing/customer experience. The Customer experience can include content, but should also include service. #contentchat
— Caitlin Kinser (@caitlinmarie89) July 9, 2018

A3: Not necessarily because there are more ways for customers to engage with brands than just content alone. But I do think that customer experience is universal in that customers expect an experience in every aspect of interaction. #ContentChat https://t.co/DxpNpQJwvC
— [{ Danielle in Code }] (@quantbarbie) July 9, 2018

A3 From what I am reading it would seem content experience is s big part of customer experience, but just a part – everyone has a role in CX, not just content creators. #ContentChat
— Derek Pillie (@derekpillie) July 9, 2018

A3: Since content really touches all aspects of a customer’s experience (marketing, customer service, website, etc), it does make sense to think of customer experience as content experience (especially when you are the content creator). #ContentChat
— Emilie Moreland (@writtenbyemilie) July 9, 2018

Q4: What are some ways to modify your content experience that can improve the buyer’s journey?

A4: Remember that their single piece of content is a piece of a larger effort. Know where you fit in the journey/funnel/experience. Media buyers need to consider that as well. No more single-transaction perspectives. Thing bigger. #contentchat
— Maureen Jann (@SuperDeluxeMo) July 9, 2018

A4:
1. Start with great content
2. Make it look great everywhere (optimized for all browsers & devices)
3. Be strategic when organizing your content
4. Personalize (we use AI recommendations)
5. Use targeted and contextual calls-to-action #ContentChat
— Randy Frisch (@randyfrisch) July 9, 2018

A4: Make sure the content experience is consistent. Emails, blogs, social media, customer service, sales should all offer the same content experience to customers. #ContentChat
— Emilie Moreland (@writtenbyemilie) July 9, 2018

A4: Placement & messenger. A well-placed, relevant message from a trusted third party goes a long way. much more likely to get a blender I hear about on a food podcast than a news podcast. I don’t like consuming content and then thinking “that was random” #contentchat
— Kobie D. Christian (@Ko_bc) July 9, 2018

Q5; What are some examples of great content experiences in action?

A5. Some examples of awesome content experiences are:
🔥 @AlightSolutions: https://t.co/RtmWb3iuV5
🔥 @blackbaud: https://t.co/jaB6ZrpFCw
🔥 @TrimbleCorpNews: https://t.co/JL8KyGf3BR
🔥 @SigstrApp: https://t.co/Noc7HrR6Tg #ContentChat (1/2)
— Randy Frisch (@randyfrisch) July 9, 2018

As a specific example, we received an email from an Account Rep and it included a customized screengrab video of the rep on our website showing exactly how @drift would improve a particular process. Genius! #ContentChat
— Crowdlinker (@crowdlinker) July 9, 2018

A5: I would vote for The Venetian casino resort in Vegas… every time I get an email from them I want to fly off to Vegas. #ContentChat
— Derek Pillie (@derekpillie) July 9, 2018

Q6: What are the biggest content experience issues you are seeing?

A6: Dead end experiences are a big one. We use overlay CTAs for gated assets instead of sending people to landing pages—it allows the user to continue to browse uninterrupted. (1/2) #ContentChat pic.twitter.com/NKJMwGBiyM
— Randy Frisch (@randyfrisch) July 9, 2018

(2/2) There are other things as simple as the way content is organized. People don’t tend to browse by publication date or resource type, but that’s how a lot of online experiences are.
Wouldn’t you rather engage with Experience A below? #ContentChat pic.twitter.com/m9qsMGWz67
— Randy Frisch (@randyfrisch) July 9, 2018

A6: Death to all faulty chatbots! 🤖
Seriously though, they even made a website for ‘Chatbot Fails’ lol: https://t.co/g6CsKkiT1V #ContentChat
— Crowdlinker (@crowdlinker) July 9, 2018

Q7: What are some tools and resources we can use to evaluate and improve our content experience?

A7: Never underestimate the power of analytics. A huge one is what % of people who saw your content reacted in some capacity? Then compare well-performing content pieces to each other and find common themes. #contentchat
— Caitlin Kinser (@caitlinmarie89) July 9, 2018

A7: Attribution paths are a huge source of information when making choices about how we serve our content. Know where you customers are throughout the journey! #ContentChat
— Maureen Jann (@SuperDeluxeMo) July 9, 2018

A7: We’ve got a lot of resources on our blog to help you optimize content experience: https://t.co/1MmBf8TFbI
I’d also recommend tuning into the #Conex Show podcast—it features actionable insights of all-star marketers who are killing it content experience wise. #ContentChat
— Randy Frisch (@randyfrisch) July 9, 2018

A7: @googleanalytics of course. We also use @hotjar to monitor how customers are maneuvering on each page. #ContentChat
— Emilie Moreland (@writtenbyemilie) July 9, 2018

Erika Heald