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business man whispering the writing process secret in another mans ear

We talk to lots of potential clients who ask: Why can’t we just create content ourselves?

The truth is that most clients can create great content. They know their business, their industry, their customer — and many are pretty talented writers, too. We’ve often browsed potential client websites and found they’ve already published some awesome blog posts full of insight.

Why, then, would they want to hire Marketing Insider Group?

Well, because writing a great piece isn’t enough. To gain traction with Google’s algorithms (and thus gain visibility with your target audiences), you need to create great content every week — multiple times per week, really — all while ensuring  you cover the right topics, optimize every article for search, and track your KPIs.

We do all of that for our clients, and our writers are at the center of it all, delivering smart content at scale without ever sacrificing quality. Every piece is built uniquely for the individual client company with their own customers in mind, designed to drive more traffic, leads, conversions, and sales.

In this article, we’re going to share the secret sauce — how our writers create so much content and make sure it really hits the mark. Whether you’re thinking about taking the leap to outsource your content creation (and wondering how it’s done) or looking to improve your own internal content writing process, this guide has the step-by-step instructions you need.

Quick Takeaways

  • Templates and outlines help fight procrastination and make the content writing process approachable — especially when you’ve got multiple projects in queue.
  • Read all top-ranked existing content on your keyword to get a sense of how to differentiate yours.
  • It’s best to get your ideas out first. Write the article first and save the editing for when it’s done.
  • Publishing platforms like WordPress help with SEO assessment and make final editing easier.

The MIG Content Writing Process: 5 Steps to Success

Step 1: Create Your Outlines

Start with templates

When you’ve got a lot of writing projects in the queue, wrapping your brain around them can be the first, most intimidating step. It’s the one that often leads writers and marketing teams to procrastinate about content creation — when there’s just so much to write, where do you start?

At Marketing Insider Group, our writers start with templates and outlines to make this part of the process more approachable. We use Google Docs as our platform, and here’s how it works:

  • Every client gets their own folder for drafts in progress
  • Those folders are kept together in one big “drafts” folder (each writer has a separate one for their client set)
  • Within that folder is also a template document (pictured below) that you simply copy for each new article, move to the right client folder, and add the title and keywords

MIG's article draft template.

This way, rather than opening up a new document and facing the dreaded blank page and blinking cursor, you know you just have to copy your template and add the basics. Then you’ve technically started your article!

Download Marketing Insider Group’s Article Draft Template

Build your outlines

Next, it’s time to build an outline. To create an article that climbs the Google rankings, you need to know what already exists on the first search engine results page (SERP) for your keywords — and how you can make your version even better.

That requires actually reading the existing content and using it to outline your article. Here’s how we do it:

  • Perform a Google search for both your target keyword and your article title
  • Open every first-page result in a new tab (many will overlap across keyword and title)
  • Speed-read every article. Slow down for the best ones (which aren’t necessarily the highest-ranked ones)
  • As you read the existing content for your keyword, note important information and insights

Your tabs will look a little crazy at this point — opening 10-15 tabs in one window makes it crowded. That said, reading all of the top-ranked content on your keyword at one time gives you the clearest overarching sense of what needs to be covered in your own article.

Pro tip: When you’re reviewing existing content, click over to the “Images” tab on the SERP, where you’ll often find images with great statistics to include in your article. These may also lead you to more quality articles that may not have been on the first SERP.

After you’ve read the existing content for a keyword, you’ll have a pretty good idea of how you should structure your article. Take the notes you’ve recorded while you read and clean them up to create a fully fleshed-out article outline. Here’s where you want to be sure you add in your unique expertise and insight, too.

Step 2: Make a Plan

When you’ve got a handful of articles you’re preparing to write over a certain period of time, our recommendation is to fill your templates and complete your outlines for every article on your list — before you start doing any writing.

Here’s why: Time management is a key part of being able to deliver high-volume content while maintaining great quality. When you template and outline your content all at once, you can gain a sense of which articles may take more or less time, or which ones are just more approachable for you as the writer.

At Marketing Insider Group, our writers complete their outlines and then list the articles in the order in which they plan to write them. Then, build this list out into an actual schedule you can follow for getting all of the writing done.

This doesn’t need to be set in stone, but you should try to follow it as much as possible. Making a schedule and sticking to it will make you more productive over time, and for many writers it helps increase their bandwidth so they can take on additional projects (either articles for clients or passion projects of their own).

Step 3: Write (and Don’t Stop!)

By this step, you should have your templates and outlines completed as well as your project order and schedule for execution. Now the good stuff — it’s time to write!

Open the outline for your first article and pull up the existing content (yes, all of it from those first-page SERPs) so you can reference it as needed.

The biggest piece of advice from Marketing Insider Group writers: Write and write only. Leave the editing and much of the research for after you’re done.

For example: if you’re making a great point based on your knowledge and research, but need a stat to back it up, don’t stop to look up the stat in the moment. Keep your writing flow going by putting a quick “Insert Stat Here” note and highlight or bold it so you can go back later. Same thing goes for supporting images.

Similarly, resist the urge to edit while you’re writing if you can. It’s easy to spend upwards of an hour trying to get a single paragraph exactly right, when you could just keep writing and go back to it with a fresh brain later.

When you’re revisiting your article as the editor and not the writer (more on that next), you’ll find it much easier to make things read just as you want them to. For now, it’s all about getting the ideas on the page.

Step 4: Edit and Perfect

Once you finish your first draft, you can go back and polish things up. Start by looking up and adding any statistics, links, and images to support your content. Then revisit any parts of the article that need reworking or heavy edits. Finally, re-read the entire article to make sure it’s free of spelling and grammar errors.

Step 5: Add Internal Links and Optimize

Finally, optimize your article for SEO. Start with internal linking — it’s best to include 4-6 internal links to other content you’ve created throughout the article. When you do this consistently, you create a compounding effect that drives traffic and lifts rankings for your entire content library.

Once you’ve finished linking, check your article for other important SEO points, like keyword usage and sentence length. If you’re publishing on a platform like WordPress, drop the article there for an automated SEO assessment to make final edits easier.

Over to You

Writing takes time — no doubt about — but there are ways to do it at scale while keeping the quality excellent. Our writers at Marketing Insider Group have become pros at this over the years for companies of all sizes and every industry.

If you’re ready to level up your content strategy, check out our SEO Blog Writing Service or schedule a quick consultation to learn more about how we can help!

The post The MIG Content Writing Process: Quality Content at Scale appeared first on Marketing Insider Group.

Are you taking advantage of the massive benefits of blogging for business?

The truth is, having a blog is one of the best ways to connect with your audience. It’s also essential for driving long-term growth.

Check out all the ways a blog can help your business grow. And I also included a handful of blog example I love.

Quick Takeaways:

  • If you want to grow your business, you should be blogging.
  • A blog offers key benefits that can help you achieve your business goals.
  • By looking at examples of successful blogs, you can see the potential of blogging for your business.

How Can My Business Benefit from Blogging?

How do more leads, a steady flow of website traffic, stronger customer relationships, and higher revenue sound to you? Appealing, right?

So why haven’t you created a killer blog yet?

I get it – you’ve got a business to run. Who has time to write blog posts and to promote them? In 2019, the average blog post took nearly four hours to write. Add in social media promotion, content planning, and content optimization, and sure, it’s not a cakewalk.

But, the reality is, blogging is worth it. Post regularly, and you’ll expand your customer base and engage with your existing customers, helping to strengthen the all-important brand-buyer bond. Businesses that blog regularly benefit from:

  • More web traffic
  • Better quality leads
  • Brand trust and thought leadership
  • Highly engaged customers

Not only that. If you don’t make blogging part of your marketing strategy, you’re essentially handing all the benefits over to your competitors.

Here are 4 Benefits of Blogging Your Business Can’t Afford to Miss…

1. More Web Traffic

With a blog, you’re going to attract more people to your business. Multiple studies have found that businesses see a proportional increase in blog traffic from the number of blog posts they publish. Once you reach 21 to 54 posts, you can see your traffic go up by as much as 30 percent.

Keep publishing high-quality posts, and you’ll keep increasing your web traffic.

Companies that have a blog get almost double the links to their websites, according to a study. Further, the number of domains linking back to a page is one of the most important ranking factors that Google uses when determining page rank.

Also, when you optimize your blog posts for the keywords your audience is using when they search online, your website is more likely to appear on the first page of search results.

Type in the keyword ‘kitchen remodel chicago’ and see what shows up as the first organic result. It’s Chi Renovation and Design, a renovation company with an active blog and keyword-optimized content.

The company posts about twice a month on its blog, uses plenty of eye-catching visuals, and is raking in traffic with its prime Google search results real estate.

This is critical. Seventy-five percent of searchers won’t even go past the first page of search results. Every time your target buyers can’t easily find your website when they’re searching for a solution that your business can provide, you’re losing the opportunity to generate a lead or convert a customer.

2. Better Quality Leads

When your business uses a blog to reach customers, you’ll also be able to generate high-quality leads.

Why is this?

When users search online for a solution to their problem – and your blog provides the answers they need – you’ve got a winning match. This perfect fit is more likely to eventually lead to a sale.

And, this is why blogging for businesses can be so impactful. You’re connecting with your market through the process of adding value to their lives or helping them with a problem.

You’ve already demonstrated that your brand is the answer to their need with your helpful, relevant, high-quality blog post. As a result, they’re more likely to trust your brand and take the next step down the sales funnel.

Boston accounting firm, FJV is a great example of a blog that’s set up to generate quality leads. The company publishes helpful content regularly, which has helped them land on the first page of Google for the right keywords.

And, if you look at the firm’s blog, you’ll find plenty of long-form educational content.

When a potential customer searches for startup accounting services in Boston, FJV shows up as the first organic search result. They’re even above Yelp!

This process is completely different than paid advertisements. With paid search, you may bring in web traffic when you run a campaign. But you still have work to do to convince a lead your brand is right for them.

Not only is blogging going to bring in better leads, but it’s also going to generate more of them. Content marketing produces three times more leads than paid search, according to research from CMI.

3. Brand Trust and Thought Leadership

Another key business benefit is brand trust. When you publish blog posts, you’re establishing your brand as an authority in your industry.

You’re not simply saying you have solutions and care about solving your customers’ problems – you’re doing it with content. This instills confidence in your customers. It also positions your brand as a thought leader in your industry.

US consumers say authenticity is one of the top qualities that would attract them to a brand. For B2B businesses, a blog is just as important as it is for B2C brands. Thirty-five percent of B2B buyers spend one to three hours a week reviewing thought leadership content. Of C-suite execs, 47 percent said thought leadership content had a direct impact on their decision to award business.

If you want to see successful thought leadership in action, check out Adobe’s website. Adobe, one of the most innovative companies in the world according to Forbes, offers an incredibly rich online library with blog posts for designers, marketers, and innovators.

The Adobe Blog is a great example of thought leadership in action

You won’t see this level of trust overnight. But, as you continue to post content that your target market finds useful, the trust barometer keeps rising.

4. Engaged Customers

The biggest benefit of blogging for businesses is engagement. If you aren’t able to keep your customers interested and your brand top-of-mind, you’re losing ground with your customer base.

With blog posts that resonate with your target buyers, you can keep them hooked. Not only that, but your blog will distinguish your business from your competitors.

Whether you’re a software company that wants to be the go-to source for custom app development for businesses in your area. Or, a local produce delivery company trying to compete with giant grocery store chains, blogging is what will ensure your business stands out.

Here are five examples of engaging blogs you can use as a source of inspiration:

  • Nutanix’s The Forecast
  • GE Healthcare’s Insights
  • Cleveland Clinic Health Essentials
  • DivvyHQ’s Content Planning Blog
  • American Express Business Trends and Insights

A Blog Offers Sustainable Business Growth

Once you get your blog going, you’ll start to see some of the business benefits. Increased traffic. More leads. More sales.

But, you’ll also be able to sustain this growth. The thing is, the time and effort you put in now will pay you back in dividends over time.

This is because the blogs you publish today are going to continue to bring in traffic for years. HubSpot has found that one in every 10 blog posts turns out to be a compounding post. These are your old evergreen posts that generate more and more traffic over time.

A large blog library filled with thought leadership posts will also translate to more backlinks and a better position in search engine results. Which means even more traffic, more leads, and more sales.

As a result, your blog can lead to sustainable growth. Easier scaling. And, serious business success.

If you are ready to get more traffic to your site with quality content published consistently, check out our Content Builder Service.

Set up a quick consultation, and I’ll send you a free PDF version of my books. Get started today – and generate more traffic and leads for your business.

The post 4 Ways a Blog Can Help Your Business Grow Right Now appeared first on Marketing Insider Group.