What Makes (and Spoils) Great Content Writing [Podcast]
According to this week’s guest on the Conex Show, marketers are often the worst judges of their own marketing. When it comes to content writing, they tend to prioritize clicks and overlook what will make their content truly shine.
As Editor of CCO Magazine, Jonathan Crossfield has learned the type of content that activates readers. Crossfield believes in prioritizing content that changes audience behavior and taking a big-picture look at content ecosystems rather than fixating on views and clicks.
In this episode, he looks at what marketers get wrong about the purpose of content marketing, and breaks down the distinct roles editors, writers, and proofreaders play on content teams and why each one is essential, despite how often they are conflated or dismissed altogether.
In This Episode:
The Biggest Mistake Writing Teams Make
Crossfield says there still needs to be room for the art of content, not just the science. When teams build out an editorial calendar and prioritize SEO over the actual writing, that’s where the problem starts.
“Take the great content you produce, and then find out how to make it more discoverable. Don't start with that.” – @Kimota
The Danger of Chasing “Silver Bullets” in Content Writing
The purpose of content marketing is to get something into someone else's head, change their attitude, or motivate them to do something. So whether it’s reading the next piece of content or researching a product, you want to compel them to take action.
“The whole point of content marketing is not getting people to read your content—the whole point of content marketing is getting them to do something as a result of reading your content. If you’re focusing on just getting them to read your content, then you’re just measuring clicks.” – @Kimota
Why Undervaluing Editing Undermines the Value of Your Content
As a marketer, it’s important to be able to take a step back, review what you're doing, and question whether or not it’s going to work. An editor will do that for the writer because they provide that sanity check.
“Editing is that overarching view not just of that single piece of content, but all the content within the ecosystem it’s going to exist within.” – @Kimota