Rock Content https://rockcontent.com Content Marketing Thu, 24 Aug 2023 20:02:59 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.8.3 https://rockcontent.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/favicom-rock-content-min.png Rock Content https://rockcontent.com 32 32 5 Moments When Photography Made Me a Better Designer https://rockcontent.com/blog/photography-and-design/ Wed, 23 Aug 2023 19:05:52 +0000 https://rockcontent.com/?p=98757 Although photography is part of most (if not all) design curricula, it was only recently that I decided to deepen my knowledge beyond the basics. It might not be obvious to say that photography and design are complementary fields, but they certainly share various concepts.  That’s what I’m here to discuss today: how photography has […]

The post 5 Moments When Photography Made Me a Better Designer appeared first on Rock Content.

]]>
Although photography is part of most (if not all) design curricula, it was only recently that I decided to deepen my knowledge beyond the basics.

It might not be obvious to say that photography and design are complementary fields, but they certainly share various concepts. 

That’s what I’m here to discuss today: how photography has enhanced my design process.

The goal here isn’t to delve into the technical aspects (a vast subject that I’m still exploring as a photographer), but to highlight concepts I’ve been applying in my day-to-day work as a designer at Rock Content, making a difference in my daily work.

1. Rekindling the beginner’s mindset

When we start learning something we’re interested in, we become more open to practicing, experimenting, and learning from our own mistakes. This is an ideal moment to stimulate creativity and envision new possibilities.

In the case of photography, it’s no different.

Gaining knowledge about new framing techniques or learning about double exposure, for example, illustrates how photographic concepts can enrich layouts with an extra touch of originality.

On the other hand, an “expert” who has mastered the fundamentals and gained experience can fall into the trap of getting stuck in processes that they already know work efficiently, thus hindering creativity.

Embarking on my photography journey has revived the beginner’s mindset within me, reigniting the desire to experiment and discover new processes.

2. When studying composition

This is a discipline shared by both design and photography.

Principles such as symmetry (or its absence), balance, the rule of thirds, leading lines, framing, and the golden spiral are equally relevant for both layouts and photographs.

Studying photography involves understanding and managing spatial perception, meaning the spatial relationships among elements within a frame.

Enhancing this perception will contribute to improving the distribution and arrangement of elements within a layout.

In this photo, for instance, I captured two Argentine women enjoying the sunset at the “Window of Paradise” in Arraial do Cabo, Rio de Janeiro. This image exemplifies composition, utilizing the natural window frame and applying the rule of thirds: the two women occupy ⅔ of the width and ⅓ of the height of the photo.
The double exposure technique (on the left) assisted me in creating the cover for the 6th edition of Rock Content Magazine (on the right). In these examples, two images are superimposed so that we can view both in a single composition. I used this principle to portray overlapping people and rainbow colors, resulting in the effect seen on the cover.

Another interesting example lies in the relationship between the varied framings of design elements and the different focal lengths of photographic lenses.

Horizontal format pieces, like banners, resemble wider framings provided by wide-angle lenses.

However, on social media, the vertical format of smartphone cameras (usually 1080x1920px) is predominant.

Thus, the same horizontal banner mentioned earlier requires a vertical version to be shared on platforms like Instagram Stories, for instance.

This example showcases the same artwork laid out in different formats: a blog banner, a square post for social media, and a vertical story. In this case, we have 3 different framings, but I needed to redesign the arrangement of elements as I had more or less width in each format.

By studying photographic composition, the designer gains a more versatile arsenal of options to organize graphic and textual elements according to the format of each piece.

3. When studying storytelling

Storytelling is another discipline of utmost importance in photography.

Through it, capturing moments gain a deeper meaning and purpose, resembling how a work of art evokes sensations and impressions in the observer.

By enhancing the skill of storytelling in photography, the designer incorporates a powerful tool to make their layouts more appealing and engaging, using images not just to communicate, but also to narrate stories and evoke emotions.

An example of storytelling through photography: a lone trumpet player sitting on the walls of the “Walled City” in Cartagena das Índias, Colombia. The image leads us to speculate the story behind it: what music was he playing? Was he just practicing or a street artist? Does he belong to a musical group or an orchestra?

The outcome is even more powerful when we combine image and text to creatively tell a story that aligns with the concept of a campaign, for instance.

4. In the creative process

Design and photography share stages of the creative process that range from conceiving a shoot or campaign to experimenting, creating versions, and final refinement.

Studying photography is not only a way to practice these processes but also to enhance aesthetic sensitivity and critical analysis, which are essential in the creative process.

Photography also sharpens visual problem-solving skills, as it demands quick thinking to capture specific moments with appropriate settings, adapt to lighting, plan the best time to shoot, and improvise when things deviate from the plan.

5. Observing the world around me

Lastly, photography has intensified my observation of the world around me.

The feeling that an incredible photo can arise at any moment turns a simple evening stroll in the neighborhood into a photographic expedition and a rich harvest of references.

In this way, with just a few steps, I find myself paying more attention to sunset lighting (the “golden hour”), people in motion (generating authentic everyday portraits), previously overlooked bird species, color and texture combinations in fabric stores, and most importantly, the beauty that encompasses it all.

This heightened awareness and contemplative perspective of the world have revitalized my creativity in blending colors, typography, illustrations, and graphic elements.

If you’re hesitant to start (or resume) capturing images, I can confidently say that it’s been worthwhile.

The post 5 Moments When Photography Made Me a Better Designer appeared first on Rock Content.

]]>
5 reasons to start using WriterAccess in your Marketing Agency https://rockcontent.com/blog/writeraccess-in-your-marketing-agency/ Wed, 23 Aug 2023 18:15:54 +0000 https://rockcontent.com/?p=98755 Incorporating WriterAccess into your marketing agency empowers you to deliver exceptional content, boost productivity, and strengthen the brand presence of your customers.
And I’m gonna show you why!

The post 5 reasons to start using WriterAccess in your Marketing Agency appeared first on Rock Content.

]]>
As a professional who has been working with the public for almost 10 years, I can say that content creation is a fundamental aspect of modern marketing and communication strategies for marketing agencies.

In fact, 88% of marketers who already do SEO work plan to increase or maintain their investment this year, while Content Marketing was listed as one of the top priorities for Marketing teams in recent searches. 

With that in mind, you can see why meaningful content creation can fuel business growth and create lasting impressions in the minds of consumers. 

And that’s precisely why agencies strive to stand out in a competitive landscape and connect with their target audience. 

But, when you manage and are responsible for the content of many brands, from different niches and with distinct audiences, it can be very challenging to develop content that generates value for each of your customers

If you own a marketing agency or work in one, and this is an ongoing challenge for you, I’m happy to say that WriterAccess may be the perfect solution for you and your team.

Through its extensive talent network, the content marketplace platform enables marketing agencies to access a diverse pool of industry experts who can craft content tailored to their specific requirements.

It also excels in promoting collaboration between a marketing agency and its clients, making the content creation process more transparent and efficient. 

Not convinced yet? Let’s see the top 5 features that are particularly beneficial for marketing agencies:

1. Swim in a large pool of writers, designers, and content creators

As I said, WriterAccess provides access to a vast network of skilled freelancer professionals with diverse expertise. 

The versatility and flexibility of such professionals enable marketing agencies to cater to a wide array of content needs, be it blog posts, social media content, or industry-specific articles. 

Moreover, the availability of specialized writers in different industries ensures accurate and insightful content that aligns with clients’ specific requirements and demonstrates the agency’s commitment to delivering valuable information.

Full-service digital marketing agency RivalMind, for example, increased its content production by 67% because of that.

Before that, as explained by their Head of Search Marketing Strategy, it was difficult for in-house writers to maintain the content quality that clients needed and expected.

Same with the marketing agency InfoStream Solutions. They had a team of extremely talented in-house writers. 

However, as their COO explained, “No matter how skilled our [in-house] content writers are, it isn’t possible for them to have experience in all industries.”

Their in-house team used to spend large amounts of time conducting research for specific industry content, resulting in delayed project timelines and frustration

That all changed with WriterAccess: “We were very much drawn to that to save time and energy.” Partnering with a diverse pool of writers not only saves agencies’ time and resources but also encourages fresh perspectives and creative approaches to content creation. 

By leaving the writing tasks to professionals, marketing agencies can focus on core competencies and handle multiple projects simultaneously

Operating with a pool of freelancers on an easy-to-manage platform enables agencies to:

  • Reduce operational costs.
  • Unlock the ability to serve diverse clients with quality and speed.
  • Accommodate large deliverables.
  • Reallocate resources, as the agency isn’t tied to a fixed cost structure for the content production team, it can invest efforts and staff into more strategic activities, gaining a competitive advantage.

This seamless workflow contributes to content consistency, enabling marketing agencies to maintain a strong and recognizable brand identity for each client.

2. Save your time with content management tools 

WriterAccess provides robust content management features that streamline project organization, scheduling, and tracking, making it a comprehensive platform for marketing agencies seeking an efficient content creation process. 

One of the key aspects of its content management tools is the easy-to-use scheduling feature: marketing agencies can set deadlines and timelines for each project, ensuring that content delivery aligns with their client’s marketing strategies, avoiding delays, and ensuring a smooth content creation process. 

Additionally, the platform allows agencies to prioritize projects, allocate resources effectively, and manage multiple projects simultaneously, enhancing overall productivity. 

The project tracking feature, for example, empowers agencies to monitor the progress of each project, review drafts, and request revisions as needed, ensuring that the final content meets the agency’s high-quality standards and the client’s expectations. 

And if your agency is used to using spreadsheets to manage its content, WriterAccess can help you (a lot) to save your time and scale your production. 

The Bulk Report functionality brings much more convenience to your day-to-day life, as it allows you to upload CSV files and place your orders in bulk, instead of filling in the briefing of each content one by one.

Thus, you optimize your execution and gain time to invest in more strategic activities and with greater competitive advantage for the agency.

If you want, you can test the platform for free for 14 days and see all that in practice. 

The integrated workflow saves time and minimizes the administrative burden, enabling marketing agencies to focus on what’s most important: the customer.

3. Have a little help from Artificial Intelligence

WriterAccess offers a range of innovative AI-powered features tailored to meet the unique content creation needs of marketing agencies. 

The AI Persona Builder stands out as a valuable tool that assists agencies in generating different personas for the niches they serve: Based on key demographic and behavioral data, the AI can quickly create detailed and realistic buyer personas, enabling marketing agencies to craft personalized and engaging content that resonates with their clients’ potential customers. 

With the Persona Generator’s insights, marketing agencies can also fine-tune their content strategies, ensuring that their content speaks directly to the preferences, pain points, and interests of the intended audience, resulting in more effective and impactful marketing campaigns.

Another great tool is AI Content Wizard: After 5 simple steps, you will discover content opportunities that your customers are missing. 

That’s possible ‘cause, within minutes, the platform performs extensive content research and gap analysis to create blog post briefs designed to optimize your, and your clients’ blog ranking on Google.

Through information about your audience, competitors, keywords, and persona, WriterAccess is able to customize content research and gap analysis according to the business needs of each of your clients. 

Additionally, the AI-powered Writer Search feature empowers marketing agencies to efficiently identify the most suitable content creators for their projects. 

The AI Search feature evaluates the sample text you submit and identifies the most suitable writers based on their ability to match your unique tone and style. This ensures that you receive high-quality content tailored to your specific needs.

The Stylemetrics Matches results also facilitate the selection of writers with specific industry knowledge with an industry filter, ensuring that marketing agencies work with top talent to deliver exceptional content for their clients.

4. Enjoy the benefits of the White Label Portal for marketing agencies

The White Label Portal from WriterAccess is a powerful tool that empowers marketing agencies to enhance their brand presence and expand their content creation capabilities effortlessly. 

It serves as a “rebrandable” and customizable platform, allowing agencies to access a comprehensive suite of content creation services while presenting them under their unique brand identity

This level of personalization enables marketing agencies to maintain complete control over the client experience, presenting a consistent and cohesive appearance across all communication channels.

From submitting content requests to communicating with writers and approving content, the user-friendly interface fosters collaboration and reduces communication barriers between agencies and their clients. 

Gain a comprehensive overview of the workflow processes and conversations taking place between your agency and clients. 

Armed with this information, agencies can make data-driven decisions and refine their content strategies to achieve better results for their clients.

5. Integrate all of your content tools 

Integrating WriterAccess with third-party platforms offers remarkable convenience for marketing agencies, streamlining their content workflow and enhancing overall efficiency. 

By seamlessly connecting WriterAccess with Hubspot, WordPress, Google Analytics, and other systems, agencies can create a unified and centralized content creation process, eliminating the need to switch between multiple platforms, saving time and reducing the risk of data loss or miscommunication. 

Moreover, marketing agencies can leverage the features and capabilities of all platforms simultaneously, maximizing the benefits and enhancing the overall content creation experience.

Click here to learn more about WriterAccess’ integration with third-party platforms

As you can see, WriterAccess offers a myriad of benefits for marketing agencies seeking to elevate their content creation strategies and deliver exceptional results for their clients. 

By leveraging WriterAccess, agencies can navigate the dynamic digital landscape with confidence, establish themselves as content experts, and foster lasting client satisfaction, solidifying their position as leading players in the ever-evolving content marketing realm. 

And if you still don’t use WriterAccess in your marketing agency, now is the perfect time to give it a try: click here and start your free 14-day trial!

The post 5 reasons to start using WriterAccess in your Marketing Agency appeared first on Rock Content.

]]>
Freelance Writing and Content Services: 6 Tips for Choosing the Best Platform https://rockcontent.com/blog/freelance-writing-content-services-best-platform/ Mon, 21 Aug 2023 18:09:19 +0000 https://rockcontent.com/?p=98730 If you found this article, you probably already know that content production is one of the most crucial pillars of a marketing strategy—and it’s also the Achilles’ heel for a significant portion of small, medium, and large companies. This is because there are various stages around content production that brands need to pay attention to, […]

The post Freelance Writing and Content Services: 6 Tips for Choosing the Best Platform appeared first on Rock Content.

]]>
If you found this article, you probably already know that content production is one of the most crucial pillars of a marketing strategy—and it’s also the Achilles’ heel for a significant portion of small, medium, and large companies.

This is because there are various stages around content production that brands need to pay attention to, such as:

  • Building a relevant and recurring strategy;
  • Mapping out content;
  • Providing a variety of content at all stages of the funnel;
  • Allocating resources (team, time, and investment) between strategic tasks, such as SEO planning, and tactical tasks, like content production itself;
  • Maintaining quality while producing at scale;
  • Analyzing and optimizing for continuous growth.

We’ve previously shared here at Rock Content how we’ve chosen to keep our in-house team focused on strategic tasks while outsourcing content production to freelancers (and we’ve explained how we execute this in practice).

Indeed, opting for freelance writing and content services can be an incredibly efficient solution for scaling your content production across various formats, without sacrificing quality and while keeping a keen eye on results.

However, for this to work, certain details must be taken into account—both when determining if this option makes sense for your company and in understanding which platform would be the best fit for you.

Content Marketing: Potential and Current Challenges

In broad terms, content marketing aims to attract, engage, and convert customers through the creation of relevant content in various formats.

According to the 2023 State of Marketing Report, 29% of marketing teams use blog posts and optimized websites to attract and convert leads. Out of this percentage, 88% plan to increase or maintain their investment in 2023.

And a content marketing strategy is not solely composed of written content for blogs and websites. The same report highlights one of the main trends for the year: the creation of short videos for Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok.

We might be biased in saying this, but a strategy for sustainable and continual long-term marketing growth is hardly effective without content.

However, like anything within marketing, such potential comes with its challenges.

For instance, Artificial Intelligence is a powerful tool to enhance productivity and creativity, but it has limitations that will always depend on the human touch.

Another constant challenge for brands is operating with an often-reduced marketing team, requiring them to make even more accurate decisions to optimize work, scale production, and maximize results.

At this point, utilizing a marketplace for freelance writing and content services can indeed be an excellent solution.

What is a freelance writing and content services marketplace?

When we discuss a freelance content marketplace, the initial thought that comes to mind is a space to discover professionals who are prepared to tackle various projects.

And, in brief, yes, that’s correct. But is it solely that?

A freelance content marketplace is a platform where you can find a variety of professionals: writing services, designers, strategists, editors, and translators, for instance.

However, beyond the pool of talent, a robust content platform also offers tools to optimize and streamline the end-to-end process.

The chosen content marketplace should, at the very least, ensure that:

  • You have access to a network of talents prepared to deliver quality content based on your needs and market niche;
  • Tools that facilitate the request and management of your projects;
  • Easy alignment between parties for content that fulfills expectations and remains within the planned scope;
  • Integration possibilities that centralize content production operations.

For search engines to recognize your site as an authority in your industry, it’s crucial to combine quality with a quantity of relevant content within your calendar and planning.

On this matter, the content marketplace contributes value to any marketing team, regardless of its size and complexity, to guarantee that content maintains the required relevance, consistency, and strategy.

“Alright, I understand that employing freelance writing services is logical for my business. But how do I select the best content marketplace from the available options in the market?”

Perhaps this is your current question, and it’s a justifiable query.

There are several key points to consider when selecting your content marketplace.

How to choose the best content marketplace for freelance writing and content services?

The ideal content marketplace is the one that meets most of your company’s content needs.

There are several in the market: WriterAccess, Workana, Verblio, Clearvoice, etc.

I’ve selected some of the key features here for you to consider when making your choice:

1. Selection of talent and assurance of a specialized and qualified pool

The first key benefit of a content solution that you need to look for is the talent selection process.

It’s crucial to ensure that the available talents are specialized and experienced in content creation and strategies.

The freelance content marketplace gains extra points if it can assist you in filtering the talent pool by specialty (such as SEO knowledge, for example), and market niche—after all, depending on the niche, a generic writer might not be as effective—and ratings, for instance.

Try to understand how the selection process for these talents works, and if there’s any profile assessment and experience evaluation.

Attempt to avoid platforms where anyone interested can easily register and become a writer or designer. Ideally, the content marketplace should provide you with confidence and assurance to work with selected professionals who are prepared to produce high-quality content.

For example, at WriterAccess, there is a dedicated team that evaluates all the profiles applying to the platform.

This team reviews resumes and experiences, selects qualified professionals, and is responsible for monitoring and managing the available pool for professional development, ensuring content that matches what the client is seeking and expecting.

2. Diversity in the talent pool

When discussing diversity in the talent pool, we are addressing two points.

Firstly, it relates to various roles gathered in a single place. Platforms with writers, designers, editors… all concentrated within one solution.

Secondly, it pertains to talents within the same field, possessing varying levels of technical expertise and specific knowledge across different sectors and content formats.

In the market, we can find tools focused solely on one type of talent (for instance, exclusively for designers or writers) and tools that offer diverse talents within a single location.

Platforms with a broader talent base further simplify and centralize content production, as they can cater to various needs, from articles to ebooks, animations, illustrations, editing, and numerous other formats, all in one place, optimizing your time devoted to content creation and management.

Look for tools with extensive talent bases featuring highly specialized professionals for delivering rich content, as well as others with more general knowledge for less in-depth content (without compromising quality).

In essence, content for all stages of the funnel.

Tip: At WriterAccess, you can find writers, designers, editors, strategists, and translators with varying expertise and experiences across diverse sectors and content formats to elevate your strategy. Plus, you can test the platform for free for 14 days.

3. Tools to facilitate and streamline your content requests and management

One of the major concerns in the realm of writing services and content marketplaces revolves around aligning with the talent assigned to your project.

To tackle this, platforms offer an array of tools aimed at ensuring transparent and noise-free communication, spanning from comprehensive briefing tools to direct contact options with the talent.

This significantly eases the process of ensuring that the final outcome of the requested work aligns with expectations, or even surpasses the company’s anticipations.

I’ll illustrate this using WriterAccess as an example:

When you request content within the platform, you’re required to complete a form that furnishes the necessary guidance for the talent to understand the project—its nature, the company’s identity, the targeted persona, and the keywords to explore.

Here, I’d like to emphasize two key points:

If, for any reason, you lack clarity about your persona or need assistance generating content ideas, WriterAccess integrates specific AI tools for persona creation and content strategies.

Another significant advantage of the platform is the capacity to save briefing templates. In simpler terms, you don’t have to complete the entire form every time you request new content; you can simply store the information you wish to replicate within your template.

Lastly, WriterAccess also breaks down the optimal content length and establishes a schedule in alignment with the client’s calendar, allowing for continuous contact with the talent throughout the process.

4. Content production management tools

In addition to the content request interface of the chosen marketplace, another crucial aspect that you should assess is the tools for managing your requests and materials.

The more intuitive the platform is, with a clear dashboard for your requests and ease of tracking, approving, requesting edits, and managing demands, the better.

You need to be able to easily and efficiently track each step of the creation process for every project to ensure deadlines are met, alignment with the initial briefing, and delivery of content with the expected quality.

5. Utilizing Artificial Intelligence to optimize content production

I couldn’t skip it. One of the most significant trends in marketing nowadays is artificial intelligence.

ChatGPT has become popular as a tool to assist in generating texts, emails, and content in general. Indeed, AI has the power to commoditize simple content, often of lower quality.

Read also: How the Rock Content team uses Artificial Intelligence

At the same time, AI possesses the incredible ability to streamline processes and enhance the potential of content when combined with human creativity.

This is where content marketplaces can contribute (and greatly!) by leveraging Artificial Intelligence.

For instance, it can assist in optimizing processes such as content mapping, topic definition, and persona creation… all based on real data from your business, generating new content opportunities specifically for you.

In summary, the use of Artificial Intelligence enhances content platforms by making the process more efficient without compromising the creation of original, humanized content.

WriterAccess has been one of the major pioneers in implementing AI on their platform, enabling features such as:

  • Persona definition
  • Content mapping based on segment, competitors, domain, and each user’s persona
  • Weekly topic suggestions based on your previous content and more
  • Detection of AI usage in content writing to ensure content is created by talents.

By utilizing these tools, your process becomes even faster and more comprehensive, enhancing the capabilities of your content marketing strategy.

Explore all the AI tools offered by WriterAccess.

6. Diverse Integration Possibilities

Lastly, one of the major differentiators of the content platforms we find in the market is the array of integration possibilities that each one offers.

Integrations with SEO tools, marketing automation, social media, data analysis… the broader the spectrum of integrations with tools you already use in your marketing team, the better.

Integration possibilities further centralize the entire content creation operation in a single location, making the process even more efficient and comprehensive.

In other words, within a single platform, you can discover talents, request content, manage content creation, and then direct it to the appropriate communication channel or export it in the best format while tracking its outcomes.

WriterAccess offers integrations with platforms like WordPress, LinkedIn, HubSpot, SEMRush, and various other options and possibilities, enabling you to consolidate all your content creation efforts in one place.

Explore all the integrations offered by WriterAccess here.

Conclusion

Freelance writing services and content marketplaces can provide the ideal solution for optimized, efficient, scalable, and high-quality content creation.

It’s essential to know how to choose the best platform for your business.

Therefore, assess the key points that meet your demands — from the diversity of the talent pool and their qualifications to integration possibilities that will enhance your process.

If you’re uncertain about which platform delivers what you’re seeking, familiarize yourself with each of them. Take advantage of trial periods, explore the talent pools, and evaluate usability and tools to integrate the best fit into your marketing strategy!

Final tip: WriterAccess allows you to test the platform for 14 days for free. To learn more, simply click here.

The post Freelance Writing and Content Services: 6 Tips for Choosing the Best Platform appeared first on Rock Content.

]]>
How We Became a Global Leader Using a Network of 15,000 Freelancers https://rockcontent.com/blog/how-we-became-global-leaders-using-freelancers/ Fri, 18 Aug 2023 13:12:24 +0000 https://rockcontent.com/?p=98651 If you’re familiar with Rock Content, you know that we’re global leaders in content creation. Over 10 years, we’ve developed blogs in English, Portuguese, and Spanish, attracting over 8 million monthly visitors. What might surprise you is that very little of our content is produced in-house. We’ve recognized that creating content in-house at our scale […]

The post How We Became a Global Leader Using a Network of 15,000 Freelancers appeared first on Rock Content.

]]>
If you’re familiar with Rock Content, you know that we’re global leaders in content creation. Over 10 years, we’ve developed blogs in English, Portuguese, and Spanish, attracting over 8 million monthly visitors.

What might surprise you is that very little of our content is produced in-house. We’ve recognized that creating content in-house at our scale isn’t efficient.

That’s why, as an SEO strategist for Rock Content’s blog, I dedicate nearly 100% of my time to organic growth analysis, conversion tactics, and other blog strategies. 

Content production is entrusted to our pool of over 15,000 freelancers on WriterAccess, Rock Content’s content marketplace.

Using a content platform goes beyond outsourcing. Alongside our talented freelancers, the tool itself streamlines our strategy from start to finish — from developing your persona to content publication.

Today, I invite you to join me behind the scenes of Rock Content’s end-to-end blog content production.

How do we plan and create our content on WriterAccess?

First and foremost, I want to emphasize that at Rock Content, we already have our personas defined, which guide our content strategy. If this is not the case for you, the AI Persona Builder can assist you.

Our process begins with creating the publication calendar.

At the end of each month, we map out trending topics and those essential for the blog’s current phase. For instance, we’re heavily investing in subjects related to artificial intelligence and its global impact on the marketing industry.

Here, we can rely on the assistance of the AI Content Wizard, another AI tool available on WriterAccess.

It’s one of the first aspects I look at when searching for new content to develop, as the tool highlights potential trends or covers topics that we might not have addressed on the blog before.

Read also: Supercharge Your Content Strategy with the AI Content Wizard at WriterAccess

After defining the editorial calendar for the blog’s monthly content, we proceed to create the briefings.

All briefings are meticulously tailored to align with Rock Content’s current strategy, including vital details.

Our freelance writers are allocated a specific number of days for this production. All content undergoes not only their review but also an internal review.

On the platform, by selecting “Make an Order: Writer,” we can opt for a saved template, given that our typical content ranges between 1,000 and 2,000 words. This streamlines a process that could otherwise be time-consuming, allowing us to define the content type, assign the producer, set content pricing (accounting for platform discounts), and provide other essential information.

When sending the briefing to the talent professional, depending predominantly on the topic, we assign it to writers who have specific expertise in their portfolios.

For example, if we need to delve deeper into SEO, we’ll specifically request that text from a professional experienced in the field. The same approach is applied to other niches and themes.

Moreover, we can manage these “templates,” the predefined order formats that streamline daily tasks.

There’s a “Tool Panel” in the top menu that not only compiles the templates but also encompasses briefing types, personas, and much more. The key is to customize and establish templates based on what’s crucial for your strategy.

Selecting the best talent for your strategy

It’s crucial for your company to choose professionals wisely to assist in your content marketing strategy.

This is when you might ask me, “Diana, how on earth am I going to pick a professional from the 15,000 available on the platform?”

Well, there’s another AI-powered tool within WriterAccess that’s quite useful for this: the AI-Powered Writer Search.

Here’s how it works: when selecting which talents to assign the task to, you click on “Smart Select.”

From there, WriterAccess’s AI algorithms will send your task to talents that match what the task requires — from specializations to the expected tone of voice.

To ensure the tool is as accurate as possible, the tip is to succinctly describe what you need and specify the talent’s country of origin.

Talent chosen, now it’s time to adjust the payment.

The price of the content is determined based on the type of freelancer request. You can pay per word or per order. For designers, payment is exclusively per order.

Now, think of the type of content you desire for your website or blog.

The style of writing, the language, and the way everything is communicated make a significant difference when delivering content online.

In this regard, WriterAccess has a tool that can greatly assist us in determining which talents will accompany us in this strategy.

Integrations to optimize your content

Finally, integration with key platforms in our SEO strategy greatly streamlines the optimization and finalization process.

For instance, in terms of SEO, you can integrate SEMRush data, uncover trends with BuzzSumo, and create keyword lists.

To illustrate, I’ve taken an example from SEMRush showing organic results for the keyword “what is SEO,” displaying the websites on the SERP for this term:

You can also access up to 250 million images at discounted rates, starting from $0 on Storyblocks, $6 on Getty Images, and $7 on Shutterstock.

To gain access to these integrations, everything will depend on the type of plan you choose for your business. Explore all the integrations that WriterAccess offers.

All integrations can be viewed from within your Tool Panel; you can find them in the sidebar menu. Remember to configure them to enhance your experience when requesting content from WriterAccess talents.

Another fascinating aspect for you to explore within the platform is the intelligence data that will help your content perform even better.

You can identify if the language of the produced text aligns with the Flesch Reading Ease sentiment score, which analyzes the tone of any text on a positive-to-negative spectrum.

Lastly, you can also evaluate the keywords you wish to include in the articles, checking all their data across search engines.

These are just a few intricacies you can leverage on WriterAccess to successfully build your content strategy — just as we do here at Rock Content.

If you’d like to see it for yourself, you can try out the WriterAccess platform for 14 days, completely free. This way, you can explore all that the platform offers and ensure it becomes a valuable asset for your business.

The post How We Became a Global Leader Using a Network of 15,000 Freelancers appeared first on Rock Content.

]]>
What Is Business Agility and How It Applies to Content Creation https://rockcontent.com/blog/business-agility/ Thu, 17 Aug 2023 19:27:00 +0000 https://rockcontent.com/?p=98801 In an evolving business world that’s moving more and more toward a universal hybrid work model, the ability to adapt is crucial, including when it comes to content creation. Business agility is the key to staying on top no matter what comes your way.

The post What Is Business Agility and How It Applies to Content Creation appeared first on Rock Content.

]]>

Although business agility has always been important, it’s absolutely critical today.

With more employees working remotely and freelancers becoming a larger part of how modern businesses get things done, it’s important to be able to adapt to just about any possibility – just like digital-age businesses did during the pandemic.

The basic concepts behind business agility apply to many aspects of digital marketing, as well. This includes content creation. But what is business agility, and how can you use it to streamline your content production process?

    What Is Business Agility and Why Is It Important?

    The term “business agility” describes a given business’s ability not only to survive but to succeed in environments that are new, unique, complicated, or uncertain.

    An efficient business devotes only a proportional cost and effort to any given business goal. The agile business also gauges customers’ needs and industry climate and can respond to them quickly.

    No matter what the goal is, successful businesses align their goals and corresponding strategies with new circumstances.

    How Does Business Agility Apply to Content Creation?

    Naturally, the concept of business agility applies to content creation too. In the traditional model, a company staffs writers, all contributing to the everyday flow of content creation.

    But what if you don’t need the same number of writers all the time? Whether it’s too many or too few, it’s difficult to align the number of writers to your often fluctuating content demands. On one hand, you may be understaffed, but you’re likely wasting resources on the other.

    With an agile marketing model in place, you can find bloggers for hire as jobs come up and your needs change, directly aligning your cost to your goals. This way, you don’t have to suffer marketing losses due to scarce content or overspend on labor in relation to your overall business strategy.

    Benefits of an Agile Content Creation Model

    It’s only natural to worry that an agile content creation model might not be the right fit for your company. That’s where it might be helpful to consider the unique benefits making the switch for good will bring to the table.

    It’s Cost-Effective

    If your company is like most, your content needs to change and fluctuate according to several factors. If you rely solely on a team of staff writers to take care of everything, you’re likely often paying for help you don’t need. But if you simply delegate content writing to other team members, there’s a chance either their other duties or your content would suffer as a result.

    Hiring freelance writers as needed instead can save you a fortune in labor costs and wasted time, not to mention save your sanity.

    It’s Efficient

    Perhaps you’re worried a group of freelance writers won’t know your brand and company voice the way full-time staff writers would. That’s simply not a problem when you choose the right freelancers via the most efficient platforms.

    For example, with more highly developed freelancing sites like WriterAccess, you can choose writers based on previous work listed on their profile. Approach professionals with experience writing within your niche for companies similar to yours.

    When someone turns out to be a good fit, you can add them to your love list. The more work you order from your love list, the better your team will come to know your brand and unique voice. At that point, your freelance content source begins to function more as an in-house agency you only pay when you need to.

    Scalability and Expertise

    Another agile aspect of a freelance content source is superior scalability. After all, not every blog needs to be an expertly incisive contribution to your industry.

    With WriterAccess in your corner, you can scale down the writer level and subsequent price for less difficult pieces. Then bump up the pay rate and limit availability to only the most experienced writers on your team when you’ve got a truly crucial task on your hands. You can also create dedicated teams and love lists for different topics or content types.

    Do you have a project on your hands that’s a particularly great fit for just one stellar writer on your team? Send it their way as a solo order for their eyes (and skill) only.

    Content Creation for Small to Medium Businesses

    Many small to medium-sized businesses can’t get their online presence off the ground because they simply don’t have enough content.

    Even just keeping a company authority blog continually filled with top-tier content can be a tall order. Most modern marketing philosophies preach ‘one blog per day’ to continually engage potential customers and promotors who will strengthen your brand. So, maintaining optimal posting frequency is a daunting yet very important task.

    But then there are your social media channels, your email campaign, and all the rest of it to consider, as well. It all adds up to far more content than most smaller business teams can handle on their own. Plus, hiring even a couple of staff writers to handle it likely isn’t in the budget, especially if you’re just starting out.

    Turning to freelancers and a resource like WriterAccess when you need help with content production is an ideal choice for small to medium-sized businesses for all of these reasons and more.

    Strategic Content Posting

    Staying ahead of the curve when it comes to industry news and chiming in so your brand’s unique voice is heard are critical parts of any great content marketing strategy, too. Agility in content creation can help you make it happen.

    With an agile content marketing model, you can easily hire a writer from your WriterAccess team to help on the fly if you can’t afford daily postings. That way, if something noteworthy happens in your industry, your company’s voice is still part of the online discussion instead of over on the sidelines.

    This will keep you relevant and generate online traffic. Or, maybe your company’s been featured online or on television. Spread the news by leveraging your writing team to create coverage.

    With an agile model and the right freelance work pool in your corner, you can also effortlessly scale up your writing force to respond to current events that call for high content volumes. You can make the most of your money by taking advantage of opportunities where customers are looking for your company’s unique voice, too.

    Optimizing Content with an Agile Model

    When you apply the general principles behind business agility to your content production efforts, everyone wins. Your audience gets the incredible content they were looking for, and you get the affordable visibility and top-tier content quality your brand deserves.

    Leverage your agile model to help your brand adapt alongside factors like changing industry standards, shifting consumer interests, and fluctuating opportunities. It’s the best way to stay ahead of the game in a digital world.

    Conclusion

    Embracing business agility, as well as agility in content creation, is the key to propelling your brand to the head of the pack and staying there. WriterAccess can help you get there no matter what your business size or ongoing goals.

    Experience the difference firsthand when you sign up for your free 14-day WriterAccess trial today! You’ll love the doors the right writers can open for your brand.

    The post What Is Business Agility and How It Applies to Content Creation appeared first on Rock Content.

    ]]>
    How does Rock Content create its content briefings? https://rockcontent.com/blog/how-do-we-create-content-briefings/ Wed, 16 Aug 2023 16:31:39 +0000 https://rockcontent.com/?p=98603 Crafting high-quality content requires a briefing that aligns with the company's goals. Learn how we structure our briefings and provide writers with the essential information for content creation!

    The post How does Rock Content create its content briefings? appeared first on Rock Content.

    ]]>
    At Rock Content, we maintain a significant flow of content, continuously creating and updating it as part of our SEO and organic growth strategy.

    We’ve previously shared our process in content creation, which involves a relatively compact in-house SEO team concentrating on strategies, while freelancers handle scalable content production.

    Consequently, to ensure the organized, high-quality production of this substantial content volume, excelling in the briefing model stage is pivotal.

    It’s worth mentioning that we exclusively utilize WriterAccess, our official content platform boasting over 15,000 registered and verified freelancer talents, in all the steps of the process.

    This not only enhances content quality assurance but also empowers us to oversee the content in all its steps, encompassing writing, reviewing, and internal assessments.

    The briefing model underwent adjustments before becoming functional. For the United States and Canada teams, specific details diverged from the content creation team in Brazil, due to the profoundly distinct cultures of these countries.

    Nevertheless, the briefings predominantly adhere to the same template — significantly streamlining our day-to-day content management efforts.

    How does Rock Content create content briefings for freelance writers?

    The first thing we did was to design a layout that could intuitively compile information, where we organized: basic information, SEO details, content creation guidelines, and the outline.

    Additionally, we also mention sources in specific areas, providing crucial information to writers and reviewers. 

    For instance, we have a field called “Search Intent,” where we explain the concept and link to a relevant post. If the writer or reviewer isn’t well-versed in the topic, our goal is for them to grasp the term and its application thoroughly.

    Basic information

    In this section, we provide the information and explain the concepts. The information covered in this section includes:

    • Audience: Here, we explain whom the content is aimed at. Additionally, we also indicate the funnel stage that the content will target.

      (Here, I’d like to offer a tip: if you’re not yet clear about your persona, within WriterAccess, there’s an AI tool that assists in generating personas within minutes. It can be very helpful!)
    • Objective: At this point, we discuss the main objective of the content that will be created. Whether it’s for conversion, thought leadership, purely informative purposes, etc.
    • Audience Pain Point to be addressed by this blog post: We quote a statement from the audience about what issue they need to solve with that content.
    • How this article will outperform what we already see from the competition.
    • Content Scope: What does Rock Content aim to achieve with this blog post?

    SEO

    • Page Title
    • Meta Description
    • Keywords
    • Word Count of the Post
    • Search Intent
    • People Also Ask
    • Competitor or Research Content
    • Post Category
    • External Links
    • CTA
    • Content Creation Guide

    In this section, we provide some elements that might seem obvious but are always good to emphasize, such as:

    • Use short paragraphs (2-3 lines, preferably).
    • The first link should be internal.
    • Use graphics to illustrate data.
    • Use bold text to highlight key points in the text.

    Additionally, we include our style and writing guide for the writing professional to refer to as needed, along with other information like:

    • The tone of the text.
    • Visual elements (whether images are necessary and how they should be inserted).
    • Notes for the professional, if necessary.

    Read also: Mastering On-Page SEO: Your Ultimate On-Page SEO Checklist For Success

    Outline

    The outline essentially discusses the recommended content structure.

    The main elements to include in each title and subtitle of the post, as well as the necessary obligatory information in the text.

    If the writing professional feels it’s necessary, they can also add other information.

    Typically, we follow a general pattern that might be:

    • H1: Title with the main keyword.
    • Introduction.
    • H2 #1 Title.
    • H2 #2 Title.
    • H2 #3 Title.
    • H2 #4 Title.
    • H3 #1 Title.
    • H3 #2 Title.
    • H3 #3 Title.
    • Conclusion.

    This is just an example. Depending on the word count and the information we need, we can request a different style. But, can you see how this could guide the professional more effectively?

    After filling in all the briefing information, we send it to one of our expert freelancers.

    And here’s another trick that literally saves hours of work for the SEO team every day: WriterAccess allows you to save briefing templates.

    This feature streamlines the process for recurring information, such as SEO directions, for example.

    Rock Content’s intention is precisely to provide the audience with rich content and information, through in-depth research and careful oversight of each stage. I hope our briefing process proves useful for your business.

    If you’re curious to learn more about WriterAccess, its features, and our talent pool, know that you can try the platform for 14 days free of charge, by clicking here.

    The post How does Rock Content create its content briefings? appeared first on Rock Content.

    ]]>
    Women’s World Cup in Marketing: A Take on Equality and Missed Opportunities https://rockcontent.com/blog/womens-world-cup-in-marketing/ Tue, 15 Aug 2023 18:35:05 +0000 https://rockcontent.com/?p=98561 The 2023 Women’s World Cup concludes next Sunday, August 20th, and with it, the most sponsored and broadcasted women’s sports event ever will also end.  I personally don’t know much about soccer (and this article will most definitely not be about matches and skills). Still, I do know a thing or two about marketing, diversity, […]

    The post Women’s World Cup in Marketing: A Take on Equality and Missed Opportunities appeared first on Rock Content.

    ]]>
    The 2023 Women’s World Cup concludes next Sunday, August 20th, and with it, the most sponsored and broadcasted women’s sports event ever will also end. 

    I personally don’t know much about soccer (and this article will most definitely not be about matches and skills). Still, I do know a thing or two about marketing, diversity, equity, and inclusion. Every time a saw a new headline talking about the unprecedented investment and sponsoring achievements of this year’s female world cup, I couldn’t help but wonder: why did it take so long?

    With this bittersweet feeling of pride over the female teams’ accomplishments and discomfort with brands still taking them for granted, I’d like to expand the discussion on how brands are already using the Women’s World Cup to their advantage and where they’re still missing. 

    A few points I wish to bring to the table are:

    • It’s rather simple for the media to point out a series of remarkable achievements when the previous scenario is marked by inequalities, as is the case when discussing gender in soccer (and many other sports);
    • We should certainly acknowledge all accomplishments, but there’s a risk in having such a short memory and narrowing everything down to achievements. This could lead to overlooking the entire structure of inequality that came before;
    • Lastly, and most importantly, I found myself reflecting on how the brands are “missing opportunities in the penalty area” during this FIFA Women’s World Cup. It’s such a promising and exhilarating setting for women in sports. And, naturally, I pondered over how other brands are finally beginning to make a significant impact.

    Shall we reflect together?

    The Context of the Women’s World Cup 2023

    According to FIFA, as of August 4th, 1.7 million game tickets had been sold in 2023 — surpassing the initial target of 1.3 million. Furthermore, 42,137 attended New Zealand’s opener, representing the largest crowd in the nation’s soccer history — for both men’s and women’s matches. 

    Highlights also emerge when it comes to television and online viewership, and even in the sale of jerseys of certain teams. A prime example is the Matildas, the host team of the championship.

    Beyond these records, another context catches my attention: this marks the final World Cup appearance for some of the sport’s finest players. For instance, the Brazilian icon Marta, the all-time leading scorer in World Cups among both men and women, and the American stalwart Megan Rapinoe.

    Strides Towards Equality and Overlooked Opportunities

    Observing this historical scenario in women’s soccer, the feeling is that we’ve made progress, but something is still missing. 

    This missing piece could be the involvement of small to medium-sized brands that have yet to recognize the market potential within the women’s category or have not sensed the call for heightened social responsibility.

    Adidas, Coca-Cola, Hyundai, and McDonald’s, for instance, are partners and sponsors of the tournament, among other giants. The majority of significant market players that have supported women’s soccer are indeed doing a great job. This effort will undoubtedly yield results for the long-anticipated and eagerly awaited gender parity in soccer.

    On the other hand, the presence of small and medium-sized enterprises still needs to be heightened. 

    Coca-Cola launches new ‘Believing is Magic’ campaign for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup
    Coca-Cola’s campaign for the Women’s World Cup 2023

    The buzz still isn’t enough

    If there’s one lesson I’ve learned over the years, regarding the correlation between marketing and advocating diversity, it’s that authentic progress in behavior and mindset becomes evident when all brands strive for some recognition within a hot topic. 

    A recent example is the Barbie movie, which gained traction from modest to substantial businesses across various niches, online and offline media, and influencers of varying sizes.

    During the 2022 Men’s World Cup, brands were cautious about not infringing upon FIFA’s copyrights, and the matter was so noteworthy that it merited coverage on our blog. Now, our focus has shifted: the concern is to pique the interest of even small to medium-sized businesses in discussing women’s equity through football. It’s imperative for them to perceive this scenario as a chance for advancement, both in terms of equity and brand enhancement.

    Wrapping up

    So, my question is: what is your company, agency, or you as a professional doing to support women in sports during this time of so many unprecedented records and achievements? If you’re not doing anything, it’s certainly a missed opportunity.

    Here are a few tips on how you can tap into this pool of marketing opportunities:

    • Adopt a brand stance for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Employ pivotal moments like the Women’s World Cup to demonstrate this commitment in practice;
    • Seek ways to foster connections with your audience during the tournament. This could encompass small gestures, such as acknowledging exceptional women like Marta on social media;
    • Start the process now, rather than waiting for another four years! The World Cup may conclude in a matter of days, but gender equality is a theme demanding unwavering consistency from brands and professionals.

    If you’re seeking inspiration on where to start, my suggestion is to access our fourth Social Impact, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Report from Rock Content! Within it, we discuss what we accomplished in 2022, where we aim to improve, and where we intend to go. Read it now!

    The post Women’s World Cup in Marketing: A Take on Equality and Missed Opportunities appeared first on Rock Content.

    ]]>
    How to Write a Whitepaper? The Content that Drives B2B Engagement https://rockcontent.com/blog/how-to-write-a-whitepaper/ Tue, 15 Aug 2023 17:16:00 +0000 https://rockcontent.com/?p=98747 While there are many written assets that can really help put a company on the map as a trustworthy industry authority, whitepapers are truly in a class of their own. A whitepaper is an in-depth written document that covers a specific subject or issue in great detail. Years ago, mostly government entities, non-profit organizations, and […]

    The post How to Write a Whitepaper? The Content that Drives B2B Engagement appeared first on Rock Content.

    ]]>
    While there are many written assets that can really help put a company on the map as a trustworthy industry authority, whitepapers are truly in a class of their own. A whitepaper is an in-depth written document that covers a specific subject or issue in great detail.

    Years ago, mostly government entities, non-profit organizations, and similar establishments used whitepapers to explore public opinion on policy changes and similar factors before enacting them. But here in the internet age, you’re a lot more likely to see whitepapers published by everyday companies and businesses.

    Like other popular content marketing examples, whitepapers make great additions to a marketing campaign.  They’re fantastic ways to announce new products or demonstrate how a particular option is right for an audience. But they need to be correctly organized and written to yield results.

    What Is a Whitepaper?

    Traditionally, whitepapers were the realm of academia and think tanks where the content reads like a thesis. The private sector later adopted whitepapers as part of their content strategy.

    However, whitepapers have assumed a different meaning in the modern content marketing world. They are still long-form content conveying more information than a blog post, but not as much as a full-length e-book.

    Whitepapers are highly effective when it comes to both increasing brand awareness and getting leads more interested in the business. Companies rely on firsthand market research, data collection, and interviews that help explain the benefit of a product and its value to the user.

    Whitepapers are considered to be the second-most important piece of content after a sales brochure in the sales cycle.

    What Should a Whitepaper Include?

    Writers aren’t a monolith and some are better-suited to longer pieces than others.

    Writing a product description takes a different talent than writing a blog post, and the same is true for whitepapers. Long-form content requires a more granular approach than most objective business communications. The whitepaper writer should have experience with long-form content plus the ability to convey detail but also the conciseness that a B2B audience expects.

    A writer who has of knowledge or experience in your industry is often a greater fit for a whitepaper. This type of content demands precise information to truly deliver value to the audience. While a blog post is likely to be a mile wide but an inch deep, a whitepaper is only a few feet wide but several miles deep. Familiarity is a plus.

    How to Write a Whitepaper?

    A successful whitepaper is quite similar in structure to the standard informational blog post. For example, it’s written in such a way that the audience is immediately engaged and feels compelled to read on.

    However, it also presents depth, context, and details the reader wouldn’t find in a blog post. Here’s a closer look at how to write a whitepaper that really strikes a chord with audiences.

    1. Choose and research a relevant topic

    Every effective whitepaper starts with a well-chosen topic, so consider what you want yours to be about. As a medium, whitepapers can cover a lot of ground. You can use yours to introduce a new product line, explore an industry trend, or dig deeply into a topic that matters to your customers.

    However, you’ll also need to be prepared to back up your points with hard facts and data. Some whitepaper writers spend days (if not weeks) researching a new project, so get ready to go deep.

    2. Get organized with a detailed outline

    A whitepaper can take many forms. Some provide extensive background information on a single topic, while others introduce a problem before following up with a data-supported solution. There are listicle-style whitepapers that present as numbered lists, too.

    However, whitepapers are fairly long-form as a rule (around 2,500 words, on average), so it’s important to start the writing process with a thorough outline. A good whitepaper outline:

    • Adds structure to your stance or argument
    • Keeps in-depth data and statistics well-organized
    • Defines a target audience and tailors the content to match

    In general, your outline should help you weave each point and statement into a cohesive narrative that serves the greater purpose of your paper.

    3. Write an introduction that pops

    These days, the average person’s attention span clocks in at around 8 seconds. And people have a lot vying for their attention, so you need to give readers a good reason to give theirs to your whitepaper.

    A riveting introduction and opening paragraph is key, so be sure to give yours some thought. Not only should it grab people’s attention right away, but it should adequately set the stage for the rest of your paper and let readers know where you’re about to take them.

    Make your introduction pop by leading with your most compelling material. Introduce relevant statistics your audience can’t ignore, or leverage storytelling you know your reader will relate to. Choose active, electric language that really makes people sit up and take notice.

    4. Prioritize readability from start to finish

    A lengthy, meaty piece of content like a whitepaper relies on formatting to lead readers cleanly from the introduction of the paper to the conclusion. Well-chosen formatting breaks the content up, makes it easy on the eyes, and adds visual appeal to the mix.

    It also promotes easy readability, something that’s always important but that becomes absolutely crucial with long-form content.

    • Use headings and subheadings to help your content flow and make it easy for people to skim in search of the information they need.
    • Add bulleted lists to organize key points that go together and help them stand out.
    • Use graphics, charts, and diagrams to illustrate information and add visual appeal.

    Ideally, even a detailed, complex document like a whitepaper should be easy to understand at a glance and scan for key sections or points. Smart formatting is the key to accomplishing this.

    5. Embrace the idea of multiple drafts

    Although a very experienced professional writer may be able to bust out a completely clean result on the first try, the average person should expect to compose several drafts when writing a whitepaper. So, go into the process expecting to engage in a detailed revision process instead of expecting your paper to be perfect the first time.

    Key concerns to consider when revising your whitepaper include the following:

    • Is your title compelling enough?
    • Does your introduction not only draw people in but accurately set up the rest of your paper?
    • Is your text clear, snappy, and free of any unnecessary fluff?
    • Is your paper readable, making wise use of elements like headings and graphics?
    • Are any images and graphics used professional looking?
    • Are all of your claims properly backed with hard research, data, or statistics?
    • Did you end with a powerful call to action that tells people what they should do next?

    And once you feel your paper is everything that it should be, give it a couple more reads just to be absolutely certain. Don’t call things done until you’re sure your paper is as clear and dynamic as can be.

    Why Do Whitepapers Work So Well for B2B?

    Whitepapers are primarily used in B2B to get leads interested purchasing or at least learning more about the brand. While B2C thrives with shorter content, B2B audiences usually accepts log-form content better.

    Differently from consumer-focused content, whitepapers provide detailed information and is usually text-heavy. Tailored for a business-oriented audience, this type of content doesn’t require as many attention-grabbers like a B2C piece of content.

    Using Whitepapers to Drive Lead Generation

    Whitepapers are particularly important for B2B because they are excellent lead generators. 76% of decision-makers are comfortable handing over an email address to gain access to a whitepaper with helpful information.

    Even if the whitepaper itself doesn’t have any immediate traction with the people who signed up for your mailing list, people aren’t likely to unsubscribe either. This leaves plenty of opportunity to use email campaigns to move the contacts through the sales funnel.

    Whitepapers should strive to answer a few burning questions and provide helpful insights that the audience derives value from. They should also leave a few unanswered ones, so that the lead is compelled to spend more time on your website then buy the product or request services. Delivering just the right answers is a powerful lead generation tactic that makes whitepapers work so well.

    Whitepapers can help with positioning just as much as published articles and help establish your brand as a thought leader in your industry. The better your positioning is, the more quality leads that you will attract.

    Whitepapers Are Also Effective for SEO

    A common misconception in strategizing web content is that blog posts and landing pages are the only content that needs keyword optimization and other important SEO factors. A majority of whitepapers are published as PDFs which can be optimized for SEO purposes in most PDF editing programs.

    The text is fully searchable and comes up in search engines as a result and it works just like a regular outbound or inbound link whenever anyone links to the whitepaper. The more outbound and inbound links it has in addition to the desired keyword density, the higher the whitepaper will rank in the search engine.

    Putting lots of useful statistics in the whitepaper can increase your chances of it being heavily linked. You should also link to your own whitepaper provided that it doesn’t require an email subscription to obtain or is behind a paywall.

    Having both the inbound and outbound links will cause the placement to be higher on search engine result pages. Because whitepapers are so much longer than blog posts by default, the keyword density will be much higher which can make it even more of an SEO powerhouse than a blog post.

    Whitepapers help drive B2B engagement by solving lead generation and SEO problems in addition to providing long-form value to the readers. They shouldn’t be overlooked in B2B content marketing efforts because they’re a boon to positioning and raising brand awareness. Longer content may not always work in B2C, but it really shines in the B2B sphere.

    Conclusion

    Ultimately, a compelling, convincing whitepaper just might be the SEO game-changer you’ve been looking for when it comes to putting your brand on the map. But whitepapers take finesse, skill, and experience to really shine and deliver results.

    Consider outsourcing the job to a professional WriterAccess writer who knows how to write a whitepaper that hits all the right notes. Try the platform for free when you sign up for your free 14-day WriterAccess trial today!

    The post How to Write a Whitepaper? The Content that Drives B2B Engagement appeared first on Rock Content.

    ]]>
    Influencer Marketing In 2024: A Guide On How To Use This Powerful Tactic https://rockcontent.com/blog/what-is-influencer-marketing/ Mon, 14 Aug 2023 17:50:00 +0000 https://rockcontent.com/blog/what-is-influencer-marketing/ As much as it is already a well-established tactic within a Digital Marketing strategy, there are still many people wondering what influencer marketing is. However, the question extends more to the concept and proposal of these actions, not exactly to what it is in itself. Influencers are already part of the daily lives of those on the […]

    The post Influencer Marketing In 2024: A Guide On How To Use This Powerful Tactic appeared first on Rock Content.

    ]]>
    As much as it is already a well-established tactic within a Digital Marketing strategy, there are still many people wondering what influencer marketing is.

    However, the question extends more to the concept and proposal of these actions, not exactly to what it is in itself.

    Influencers are already part of the daily lives of those on the web, especially in social media.

    A survey developed by the agency Mediakix shows that 17% of the interviewed companies invest more than half of their marketing budget in influencer marketing.

    This trend indicates a rising use of this tactic, resulting in an increased presence of influencers who act as dissemination agents.

    If you’ve ever pondered the importance of influencers for brands, this post is here to address your questions! We will explore influencer marketing, touching on subjects such as:

    Read on and find out more!

    What Are Influencers?

    Influencers are individuals with the capacity to connect with an audience, inspire desires and actions, and shape personal perceptions, opinions, and preferences.

    This influence is made possible by the relevance influencers hold within specific segments. What elevates their ability to influence to this extent is the groundwork of building an audience.

    Over time, these individuals have mastered the art of engaging with distinct groups. As a result, influencers possess a significant voice for suggesting, endorsing, and making requests.

    example of influencer marketing

    Who are those people?

    For a long time, we associated influencers with big-shot celebrities – you know, the famous athletes, movie A-listers, chart-topping singers, and those stunning top models. But guess what? That whole picture has gone through a complete makeover, all thanks to one major player: social media.

    Nowadays, folks who were pretty much unknown just a short while ago have shot up into the limelight, becoming these mega stars and super influential players.

    The secret sauce? Well, it all boils down to how well they make themselves a big deal in a specific social circle.

    Here’s the deal: influencers are the folks who whip up content. A lot of them start off with just a handful of followers, and then bam! Suddenly, their social media game is on point and their followers are booming.

    The beauty of the digital world is that it lets you potentially reach millions by just knowing how to put yourself out there and create content that clicks with your audience.

    So, here’s the kicker – more and more new influencers are cropping up, and guess what? They’re your everyday people.

    And you know what’s cool? We’ve got the traditional celebrities and these fresh-out-the-box influencers – check these examples out:

    • Ninja (@ninja) — a famous game streamer that reached almost 15 million Instagram followers and launched its product line in collaboration with Adidas;
    Ninja Instagram profile
    • Kylie Jenner (@kyliejenner) — top model and entrepreneur, Kylie reached 179 million Instagram followers, in addition to collaborations with famous companies and her beauty products brand;
    Kylie Jenner pic.
    • Miracle Watts (@miraclewatts00) — Miracle Watts, a former model turned Instagram sensation, stands out as one of the leading Black influencers. Her feed is a blend of beauty tips, fashion trends, and cherished family snapshots, all while juggling roles as a mom and CEO of Miracle Lifestyle, her own clothing brand, and championing body positivity – amassing an impressive 2.9 million followers.
    Miracle's Instagram profile

     

    What Is Influencer Marketing?

    Influencer marketing is a marketing tactic of associating brands with influencers to connect with a target audience. Thanks to the ability to talk to their niches, influencers are seen as representatives of some brands.

    Any company can count on such influence, no matter if it is big or small. Reaching any audience is possible because influencers are not only people who have millions of followers, like those in the list we showed.

    Some micro-influencers reach smaller niches but can generate a high level of conversions, benefiting companies with a reduced target audience.

    Influencers often become partners of brands. In return, they help promote products and services to their audiences. Naturally, people who influence your followers are within your target audience.

    What makes them useful is their ability to communicate with a niche. Influencers create their audience by producing specific content. Of course, their followers like what they do, which is a starting point to be influenced.

    Different Forms of Partnership With Influencers

    There are different forms of partnerships. Some influencers only receive products and enjoy services free of charge, and, next, they promote to their base. In this case, there is an exchange system.

    However, the most profitable option for influencers is when they sign contracts with brands. This way, they become true representatives and are paid to promote the brand and its products continuously.

    example of paid partnership

    In these cases, many influencers start to make massive campaigns, becoming important agents for brands.

    They also begin to generate specific content that is part of the brands’ marketing campaigns, always aiming at promoting them.

    The Role of Brand Ambassadors

    When we talk about what is influencer marketing, it is also important to remember that some people become brand ambassadors.

    They are chosen as people of great importance who will have their image associated with the brand.

    This is perhaps the highest level an influencer can reach since they will be, as long as he is under contract, an official brand representative.

    They will no longer feature in occasional campaigns but will be an important part of a marketing strategy, always at the company’s service.

    example of brand ambassador

    As an ambassador, the influencer has the primary mission of disseminating the brand’s reach.

    It involves promoting not only products and services but also the brand, its values, and everything it represents for the target audience.

    Those people are what we commonly know as the faces of a brand. They truly become personifications of companies that want the public to see them through a personality that represents them.

     

    What Are The Benefits of Influencer Marketing?

    Now that you know what influencer marketing is, it is time to understand why it is so beneficial and has become a success.

    Several factors explain the strength of this tactic. Check out the main ones!

    Accessible for any brand

    There is no restriction when it comes to influencer marketing.

    Companies from different segments have their audiences, and there will always be an influencer able to generate impact and consumption desire. It’s all about finding the right person to represent your brand.

    It is common for smaller brands to partner with less famous people, but with high power of influence, even when addressing a small audience.

    There is competitiveness at any level, and influencer marketing is for any company.

    High conversion capacity

    Influencers have already built an audience even before a particular brand chooses them as representatives or ambassadors. Therefore, companies only choose someone influential in the same niche they work at.

    It allows an accurate investment, with bigger chances of a successful return. Because influencers already have a solid relationship with their audience, they have total freedom to recommend products and services.

    Brands look for conversions when they choose an influencer to represent them. These actions can be purchases, visits to a website, or followers to a social media page.

    Whatever the goal is, the influencer can lead the audience to the desired conversions.

    Brand awareness

    Have you ever thought about how many people are potential customers but still don’t know your brand? One of the influencer’s roles is exactly to present your business to the niche they impact.

    Strengthening brand awareness is one of the main benefits when we talk about what influencer marketing is and what its positive points are.

    Although the loyalty of an audience is important, increasing your consumer base also has great value.

    A survey revealed that 49% of people depend on recommendations from influencers to buy.

    So, if they are more likely to consume when they are introduced to brands by influencers, this tactic has a great potential to generate brand awareness.

    Trustworthiness

    If people buy what influencers recommend, it means they are highly trustworthy.

    Customers are always looking for solid relationships with reputable brands, which makes recommendations even more critical.

    If the public is likely to trust what influencers say, they must be seen as people representing the brand’s name.

    In any area of our lives, credibility is essential, and this is no different in consuming habits.

    When it comes to choosing an influencer, it’s essential to know if they have trustworthiness. After all, your brand will absorb this quality during the relationship with the target audience.

    Excellent ROI

    Marketing budgets are not always so large, so it is essential to know how to manage them the best way. 

    Marketers often think about the financial issue, and the good news is that it pays off!

    Influencer Marketing Hub brings some data about the influencer marketing ROIfor every US$1 spent, there is a return of US$5.

    It is worth investing in influencer marketing since the cost is low compared to the profits achieved.

     

    How Does Influencer Marketing Work?

    Some essential concepts shape influencer marketing tactics. We are talking about audience reach, different markets, and the content influencers generate.

    Types of content

    There are different ways to reach an audience. Influencers generate content of all kinds, on different platforms, always considering which of these channels your audience is in.

    Brands also need to consider the types of content they want their products and services to be promoted. This way, the audience can perfectly understand and visualize the campaigns.

    The main types of content are:

    • Instagram posts and stories;
    • social media posts;
    • YouTube vlogs;
    • podcasts;
    • blog posts.

    Market segments

    Companies from different market segments are looking for results with influencer marketing.

    There are no restrictions. But in some markets, influencers usually have more reach. Among the main ones, we can highlight:

    • fashion and beauty;
    • sports;
    • technology;
    • games;
    • food and health;
    • politics and news.

    Level of influence

    Influencers are not only people who represent brands to promote a desire to consume. To many of them, their opinions are the most relevant part, which, in fact, puts them as influencers.

    Therefore, there are different levels of influencers, which can lead to credibility in different ways, such as:

    • celebrities;
    • key opinion leaders, such as journalists, experts, and academics;
    • experts on a subject;
    • athletes;
    • musicians.

    How to Create an Influencer Marketing Approach?

    More important than knowing what influencer marketing is, it is essential to understand the essential steps in creating an approach to it. Check it out below!

    Choose an influencer that connects with your audience

    First of all, this is about knowing your target audience. If your brand has a defined buyer persona, this job will be easier.

    You must choose someone who has a strong influence on your persona and can reach a good number of people and connect to them.

    Also, check what type of content the influencer generates. This ensures that the person you choose will promote your brand and products the best way.

    Set the marketing campaign

    There are different possibilities for campaigns that an influential person can promote. They can carry out continuous work, always reinforcing the brand and its products, as an ambassador.

    On the other hand, influencers also introduce new products, with occasional launch campaigns.

    Always have a well-defined plan, exploring the reach power of this influence. This allows brands to get the most out of this tactic.

    Measure the results

    Measuring results is the basis for any marketing strategy and, with influencers, it is no different. Therefore, check how much they have generated for your company through the planned actions.

    A good ROI, for example, indicates that your influencer marketing is paying off. So always measure to develop campaigns of this type.

    Did you comprehend what influencer marketing is? This tactic within your marketing strategy is increasingly present in social media, reaching audiences of different types, on various channels. Therefore, consider using it to grow your leads base and conversions.

    Are you looking for inspiration for your Digital Marketing campaigns? Check out 6 examples generated by great brands and see how they were successful!

    The post Influencer Marketing In 2024: A Guide On How To Use This Powerful Tactic appeared first on Rock Content.

    ]]>