How to Create Infographics in Under an Hour This article was originally published by HubSpot. Written by Lindsay Kolowich – @lkolow Wouldn’t it be great if creating infographics was as simple as writing regular ol’ text-based blog posts? Unfortunately, the reality is that making visual content like this usually takes a lot more time, […]
Many of the same “industry insiders” who predicted the demise of email as a marketing tool were saying the same thing about infographics not too long ago. But the fact is that infographic content, which dates back to the 1700s in its earliest form for business purposes, is hotter than ever. But why? […]
How Chatbots are Changing the Customer Experience At least once a week, I load up a hypothetical shopping cart from online retailers like Zara, ASOS, and Sephora, only to decide that I don’t want to spend money on clothes or makeup I don’t really need. So I abandon the cart and close the tab. According […]
Infographic: The ROI of Content Marketing (In Numbers Everyone Understands and With a Case Study) The post Infographic: The ROI of Content Marketing (In Numbers Everyone Understands and With a Case Study) was published on Express Writers. Content marketing is effective – but I’d bet you certainly don’t need convincing. You already know how good […]
Infographic: A Brief History of Content Marketing People often talk about content marketing like its the flashy new gadget in a marketer’s toolbox. While the practice has skyrocketed in popularity over the past few years, the principles of content marketing have been around for centuries. And it would do the savvy content marketer good […]
This article was originally published on Contently – Source: Trending When I first started writing blog posts, I knew next to nothing about SEO. I’d write headlines just because I liked the sound of them, and I had no concept of keyword selection. If I used internal linking, it was a happy accident. According to […]
Content Marketing In July 2017, Kylie Jenner posted an image of herself wearing Beats by Dre headphones on Instagram. The shot shows Jenner’s profile, brushed bronze with makeup. It’s perfectly lit against a lush brown backdrop. Over her ears rest a pair of metallic Beats, with the logo right in the center of the photo. […]
Today for the Write Blog, we interviewed one of our full-time writers, Austin. Austin first began his career as a pro writer when he left his hometown of Los Angeles, California to travel the world and document his experiences along the way. He has toured with rock bands in Europe, written technical documentation for Australian […]
Today for the Write Blog, we interviewed one of our full-time writers, Diana. Diana is a journalism graduate, award-winning filmmaker and online content specialist. She dedicates her work to crafting content that connects people with stories and ideas that matter. When she’s away from the laptop, you can find her navigating through South America’s mountain […]
There’s one thing that all new writers need: a freelance writer contract. A contract isn’t just for large corporations; it’s put into place to protect both you and your client. Let’s look at why all freelance writers need to have a contract and what clauses must be included in it. Why You Need a Freelance […]
If there’s one thing we know about inspiration, it’s that it’s not very good at giving advance notice of anything.
Storytelling Tell someone to write a poem, and chances are they’ll freeze up. Tell someone to write a haiku, however, and we bet they’ll bang one out in less than 10 minutes. The reason: Constraints unleash our creativity. But how can you translate that to the complex world of content marketing? The diagram below will […]
It’s was our monthly Community Chat during this week’s #ContentWritingChat! That means we gave our audience the chance to vote on which topic they were most interested in dicussing. And the one that came out on top? Video creation tips! It’s no surprise this was the chosen topic, considering video continues to be the HOT […]
You want to hire a ghostwriter, but where do you begin? Since this is what we do, we thought we could pass on some valuable advice on the how, why, and what-have-yous of the ghostwriter and client relationship. Hiring a ghostwriter is a great way to take advantage of someone else’s professional writing skills and […]
In 2017, we saw the popularity of content marketing dip, and a huge rise in instant messages and chat bots emerge. In fact, statistics show that 47 percent of consumers would buy items from a chat bot. This leads to the very important question: is content marketing still an effective strategy? The answer is “YES,” effective […]
It doesn’t matter how much experience, education, on-the-job training, or esteem you have as a writer. Clients will dislike the content you’ve composed for them. They will be outraged about it. And they will inform you of said outrage in less-than-diplomatic terms. This presents a tremendous challenge for most copywriters. You know why you wrote […]
Let’s talk a little about the state of content marketing as it stands today. 91% of content marketers are using content marketing. That’s higher than all previous years to date. Content creation is the #1 activity in content marketing that gets outsourced. 45% of content marketers are more successful than they were the previous year: And […]
While inbound marketing is an essential marketing strategy for many companies today, the term (and general marketing philosophy) didn’t actually appear until 2005. That was when HubSpot founder Brian Halligan, along with his partner, Dharmesh Shah, and advisor, David Meerman Scott, decided to found HubSpot and focus their efforts on a new, digitally driven marketing […]
One of the lessons I’ve learned as a writer and editor is that everyone makes misteaks. (Ha ha, you saw what I did there.) Writers have egos. Editors are scrupulous. Both are prone to dropping a word, forgetting a punctuation mark, or even being a keyboard klutz. It happens. But I’m not here to talk […]
Storytelling I was a wide-eyed, frizzy-haired 25-year-old when I first got the offer of a lifetime: to be in charge of content for a small tech company called Contently. When I asked my new boss for direction, he pointed to the freshly painted mural on the office wall. It read: “Those who tell the stories […]
Online service companies are faced with a unique dilemma. They need to find ways to connect with prospective clients without having a physical location to meet with them or attending local events to network. Some online service companies try to find clients the same way that local brick-and-mortar companies do, only to find that they […]
Every writer knows what it’s like to work with frustrating clients. These are the ones who make you pull your hair out while crossing your fingers that you’ll still get paid. However, every job represents an opportunity to learn, and bad clients are no exception to this rule. In fact, they’re a prime example. Don’t […]
You have a new client. They have scheduled a conference call during which you’ll discuss a batch of web content assignments they’re hiring you to complete. You’ve never met the client, but based on a quick search, you have a basic understanding of their business. How will you approach the client interview? The answer to […]
If you’ve ever joined us for #ContentWritingChat, there’s a good chance you’ve noticed that we have a lot of writers joining us each week. It’s amazing having an incredible group of content creators come together for our chat. But sometimes writers need a little help when it comes to niching down and sending out those […]
Content marketing is a marketing strategy in which a company specifically develops content (i.e. blog posts, social media posts, white papers, newsletters, eBooks, etc.) that people will find valuable and want to consume. Joe Pulizzi, founder of the Content Marketing Institute, sums up content marketing: “Content marketing is a strategic marketing approach focused on creating […]
As marketers, we throw around the term “quality content” a lot, but what does that actually mean? Is “quality content” content with a college degree? Is it only the material written by professional writers? Is all quality content 4,000 words long and full of industry jargon? Luckily, the answer might be simpler than you’d imagine. […]
As marketers, we throw around the term “quality content” a lot, but what does that actually mean? Is “quality content” content with a college degree? Is it only the material written by professional writers? Is all quality content 4,000 words long and full of industry jargon? Luckily, the answer might be simpler than you’d imagine. […]
When December of 2017 came to a close, I wrote my goals for the upcoming New Year down on my whiteboard. One in particular was a big, bold goal for Express Writers, which I’ve been running for six years now (seven if you count my first year as a freelancer). I’d never physically wrote this […]
Social media is a great way to promote the content you share on your blog. However, it’s something that a lot of brands still struggle to do the right way. How do you grab attention and get someone to actually click your links? How can you ensure you aren’t being too self-promotional on your social […]
If you’re well-versed in today’s marketing landscape, there’s no doubt that you’ve heard the term inbound marketing. However, if you’re a marketer who tends to rely on more traditional marketing techniques – like display advertising or paid search ads – or you haven’t delved into the thrilling and complex world of digital marketing yet, you […]
Search engine optimization is going to look waaaay different in 2018. It’s true. We’re forging into the future, and that means search has to change to keep up with technology and user habits/needs. But what do “they” (the Big G) want? And, where is technology going – and how does that tie in to the […]
Two distinct strategies that many people confuse or mix up: Content marketing. Copywriting. They aren’t the same thing, although both intertwine with each other in benefits and results. Think of it like this: Content marketing gets your prospects invested in what you do. Copywriting makes them want to follow up on that investment with action. […]
Storytelling Contently cofounder Shane Snow has been called a lot of things in the press: “maverick,” “wunderkind,” “insanely addicting.” According to these people, he’s apparently the love child of John McCain, Mark Zuckerberg, and a bag of Doritos. But I’ll let you in on a secret: He’s actually just a huge geek. That’s the only […]
On January 11, 2018, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg made an announcement set to rock how publishers utilize Facebook’s News Feed feature. While the changes are planned to take effect over the next year, they stand to make some serious changes for publishers. Publishers have a legitimate reason to be more than anxious and even upset. […]
Storytelling I recently interviewed two leaders who have each influenced hundreds of millions of people. Over the course of two days, I spoke to Evernote CEO and former Google[x] executive Chris O’Neill, and General Stanley McChrystal, founder of McChrystal Group and the commander of U.S. Forces in the Middle East under Bush and Obama. O’Neill […]
Digital Transformation My parents have no idea how to define content marketing. They could tell you what I do on a daily basis (write, edit, brainstorm, crunch data, send infinite emails), but the industry itself is a mystery. Same goes for my friends, who still have to ask what Contently does every time I see […]
Storytelling The other day, I was struck by a quote I read in a blog post about vulnerability from author and Wharton professor Adam Grant: “Good communicators make themselves look smart. Great communicators make their audiences feel smart.” Grant’s words reminded me of the time I discovered, to my horror, that I write at an […]
Social When someone tells you they need time to figure out who they are, bad news is on the way. That’s just as true in business as it is in romance. Identities are important because they help us set expectations. When there aren’t any consistent expectations, relationships end. Snapchat is not normally a place for […]
The finance industry is one of my favorite topics to cover. I mostly specialize in personal and small business finance, along with FinTech. Learning how to approach this subject matter, the right ways to convey difficult concepts, and the surprising amount of emotional intelligence needed for finance blogging has taken a lot of trial and […]
Social Late last year, I wrote an article for Vice News about whether humans can fall in love with artificial intelligence. Spoiler alert: We can. Normally, I’d link you to the webpage so you can read it to learn more, but in this case, I can’t. The article only appeared on Snapchat Discover, the daily […]
In the video, a father tries to connect with his teenage daughter. She’s kind of a pill. She ignores him. She rolls her eyes when he tries to connect with her. At one point, he takes a selfie with her on an HP camera (product placement!), and puts it in her lunchbox. After a long […]
Storytelling Content marketing is in a crisis. Once you sign up for a few brand newsletters, you get pounded with the same generic how-to articles. How to Use Social Media to Boost Your Small Business. How to Make Your Team More Productive. How to Save Money for Your Kid’s Future. And, most ironically, How to […]
Digital Transformation Contently grew up a lot in 2017. Instead of just going through the motions, we thought about how content marketing was maturing, refined our mission, and conducted research to find out as much as possible about our clients and the industry at large. If we learned anything from last year, it’s that marketers […]
Over the last few years, native advertising has become a crucial part of brands’ business models. In 2017, native content has accounted for more than half of all digital display advertising spend, according to eMarketer. Next year, that share will grow even bigger. In this partner webinar, AARP Media Sales development director Danielle McMurray and […]
