Being a writer means more than writing books or writing online articles.
There’s another way that writers have been earning 6-figure incomes for years now, and that is, writing killer online content to increase traffic, attract a bigger audience, and drive sales of their own books, products, or affiliate products.
I recently read a fascinating report about online content strategies and how they can be used to increase writing income to a 6-figure salary. I’ve rewritten some of the information from the report here so that you can understand these online writing and marketing strategies.
What is a strategy?
A strategy is a plan of action designed to achieve an overall aim.
Content marketing must have a business objective in mind. The object of any marketing strategy should be to increase sales.
Content is the key to attracting an audience.
But not just any old content and not just any old audience.
That’s why creative writers are indispensable to digital marketing.
A marketer must guide the audience to advance shared ideas and aspirations and lead them toward success of whatever it is they want to do.
This takes creativity, strategy and technology.
The way to become a great writer, is to write.
Online businesses, to be successful, need to be built with content marketing, using a combination of audience-focused content and direct response copywriting techniques, plus the use of email marketing, SEO, social media, landing pages and optimising conversion.
Few people succeed online by just writing. You need to specialise in content creation, rather than being just a writer.
You need to pick a specific niche to specialise in, but within that niche you have to be a generalist so that you can do much more than just write.
Automation has become an indispensable aspect of content marketing when it comes to emails and online marketing.
Having a strategy is what’s missing from most content marketing and it’s why content fails to convert as well as it should.
Only 41% of companies doing content marketing have a documented strategy.
Creative writers need to make sure they have the right skills for content marketing.
Even a mediocre writer can make more sales with a better strategy.
A smart content marketing strategy forces you to really understand your audience so that you can help them become who they want to be.
Your content should guide your audience on a journey to your product. Guide them on a buyer’s journey in a strategic fashion. Do it in a creative, and often unexpected way, to enhance their experience.
A top tier professional writer uses these 5 things:
- Creativity
- Strategy
- Empathy
- Imagination
- Communication
in all their content creation.
To stay up to date with changes in technology and opportunities for writers, it takes a lot of ongoing learning. Some things we learn along the way, others we have to seek the answers ourselves.
You don’t need to learn every aspect of digital marketing, just a general familiarity with it all, with your main focus on content creation.
You do need expertise in:
- Strategy
- Traffic
- Audience
You need a working knowledge of all three with a specialty in one of them for your content to be effective.
Strategy
Strategic thinking is necessary for effective content creation. Anyone can improve in this area with time and focused attention.
- Marketing strategy
This is accomplished by mapping out a buyer’s journey, by formulating a documented content marketing strategy, then creating the content to execute the strategy.
- Systems strategy
This is a systematic approach to content creation that includes strategic productivity, workflows, and technology systems, to create a well-oiled marketing machine.
- Strategic partnerships
Marketing partnerships and strategic collaborations, when done right, not only attract bigger and more targeted audiences, but produce perfect partnerships and affiliates.
Traffic
Content can increase site visits and opt-ins, and it takes a special kind of expertise to get people to join, journey, and buy.
- Online advertising
Social media can be. Used as a targeted, effective, and free form of advertising.
- S E O
This is a long-term game that provides a steady stream of organic traffic. Creativity plus technical skill leads to good ranking.
- Analytics and Conversions
This data can be used to make decisions and adjustments to help convert cold traffic into leads using good copywriting skills.
Audience
Audience is king, not content or traffic, yet you need these two to attract the right audience. Knowing how to grow, engage, and understand an audience means being much more than a content writer, and being able to do so much more.
- Email automation
Once you understand your audience, email automation adds value for both you and them. It’s also simple to implement.
- Email analytics
This allows you to find out what content your subscribers prefer and what products they desire. Understand this data by paying attention at a strategic level to know how this data is helpful.
- Segmentation
Segmenting your audience helps to deliver more personalised content. Technology can help you do that.
These three areas, Strategy, Traffic, and Audience are everything when it comes to digital marketing, but you still need strong copy (content).
And it all starts with learning the right skills and strategies and implementing them.
Don’t waste another day.
Knowing and using the right writing and marketing skills will increase sales of your books and affiliate products.
Download Self Publish Worldwide, a simple guide to self publishing.
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