People read. Make it worth their while.
Did you know that blog posts are among the most shared content online?
The general consensus in the content marketing world is to go long or go home because long-form content is more popular than ever before, with the most shareable content an average of 3,000+ words long!
As a copywriter based in the UAE, this is one of the most challenging ideas to sell to clients.
Many marketing professionals only understand content on one level, in the form of sleek advertising that companies like Apple are now known for, and this is all they want me to recreate.
What many people forget, is that Apple started out with content like this:
When Apple was new, they had to explain who they were, what they were and how they were going to add value to your life. Remember, no one knew what a personal computer was, and technology certainly wasn’t where it is today!
Which is why if you’re starting a business or launching a new product, my first piece of advice is, don’t be afraid of words!
This isn’t a post about visuals, so I’m not even going to address that elephant, because we all know that presentation is KEY. What I will say is, no one will care how cute your website looks if they don’t understand what you’re selling.
The fact is, Apple has always represented simplicity and minimalism, but it evolved into a thriving content marketing machine because of meticulous planning, careful product positioning and a rare ability to reach into the heart of why people should WANT their product, then sell it.
One more point about writing long stuff.
Don’t be scared; it doesn’t all have to come from you (or your terrified copywriter who is knee-deep in edits).
The user-generated content that good products and services inspire is one example of how effective blogging can be for a brand and why long-form content is so compelling. People make purchase decisions off the back of reviews and articles every-single-day!
Here comes the good advice train — choo-choo!
People DIG opinions and they LOVE to be amazed and surprised; you’re NOT going to become Apple overnight and you cannot expect to amass a content footprint that will generate millions of dollars in revenue unless you are willing to put in hundreds of hours of work!
So where should you begin?
I am often challenged by companies who don’t understand the importance of planning and creating a content strategy BEFORE diving into social media posts, adverts, blogs, newsletters, websites and the like.
The result?
F***ing chaos.
If your brand doesn’t have a cohesive, consistent, recognisable voice that emotionally connects customers to your product or service, then you don’t have the power to invoke decision making, and if you can’t make people understand why they need you, then guess what? They aren’t going to buy from you.
A strategy is a plan to make your goals happen. A good strategy understands your team, money and material and turns out a result that works despite your limitations. An excellent strategy bakes in your company vision, mission and is true to who you are as an entity.
My advice?
Figure out your content strategy, and then write-that-sh*t-down.
Then you can start thinking about the fun stuff; like what you want your customers, fans and lurking stalkers to know about you!
And finally.
Respect the craft and hire the talent to make it happen!
Content creation is an iterative process that needs:
- A powerful brand identity
- Conscientious curation
- A desire to produce meaningful, impactful communication every-single-time
It took Apple years to create their content ecosystem, and the only reason they have been able to sell simplicity is that they figured out how to distil a complicated product into something that speaks to most people.
As a copywriter who has spent many years working on my craft, I’m quite confident in saying that no, not everyone can write!
Writing as a career means understanding the art of language, knowing how to research, and the ability to take a brief and turn it into a piece of content that moves people to action — whether that’s personal, professional or transactional!
If you’ve found this post helpful and you like how I write, how about hiring me for your next project?
I’m young, free and freelance and you can find me here.
