The art of communicating with prospects and customers without selling, content marketing is being used by some of the most influential companies in the world.
However, content marketing isn’t just for brands like Red Bull and Microsoft. Small businesses can also use the power of content to raise brand awareness and increase sales.
The challenge today is that everybody’s doing it. And, with a surplus of content out there – some of it not very good – standing out from the crowd requires commitment, intelligence and resource.
To get ahead in this game, businesses need to focus on creating ‘big’, ‘evergreen’ content if they want to deliver results.
The #1 attribute of big content is that it takes time and effort – it doesn’t have to be expensive, but you have to invest something into it. Dr. Peter J. Meyers.
Evergreen content represents the posts and articles on your blog that will always be relevant to your audience, compared to topics that may change over time. Sujan Patel.
Poor quality or ill-informed content will actually do your brand more harm than good. With time something few of us have in excess, creating and promoting bad quality content tells your audience you don’t respect theirs, and that’s unforgivable.
But big content doesn’t necessarily require a big brand budget. In fact, if you’ve bought into the idea of using content marketing to help your business succeed, using a freelance copywriter is a smart and cost-effective way to do this.
How will using a freelance copywriter help your business?
Using a freelancer is time efficient
While, in an ideal world, you’d have all the time you need to get things done, in today’s busy business environment, something usually has to give.
All too often, that something is content creation.
By using a freelance copywriter to produce the quality content your customers crave, you can get that project off your desk and into the market ASAP.
Professional writers produce quality content
Too many businesses are still creating content for content’s sake. However, the days of throwing together a two-paragraph blog in the hope it will deliver results are (thankfully!) long gone.
Instead, business leaders need to think carefully about the value and purpose of everything they create. And that takes effort.
A good copywriter will, of course, bring a sound grasp of words to your table. Messages will be promoted, your brand will be supported, and any calls to action will be persuasive.
However, content marketing demands more than the ability to write.
Today’s copywriters are also marketing strategists and possess an understanding of how best to maximise your resources. Clever words are all well and good, but a professional copywriter should also know what to do with them.
Freelancers add insight and value to your business
One of the most valuable things a freelance copywriter can offer your business is a fresh perspective.
As proud as you are of what you do, your target market is really only interested in what you can do for them. However, when you’re immersed in the day-to-day running of a business, it can be hard not to ‘go-native’.
A freelance copywriter will look at any project from the perspective of the customer; getting to the heart of your subject matter and turning it on its head to focus on what matters to them.
This customer-focused insight will result in copy that connects with your market and maximises ROI.
In addition, freelance copywriters tend to work with multiple clients across a variety of different industries. As such, they’re usually in the know when it comes to the latest content marketing trends. A good copywriter will be happy to share this insight with you and advise how best to use any such developments to help your business thrive.
Freelance copywriters provide value for money
If you decide you need external copywriting support, the cost-effectiveness of using a freelancer can’t be underestimated, particularly where budgets are tight.
With a freelance copywriter, you only pay for what you need. And, just because freelancers are cheaper than agencies, that doesn’t mean you have to put up with a drop in quality.
Many freelancers (like myself!) cut their teeth in the agency world before deciding to go it alone, so your business can benefit from the same high level of support at a fraction of the price.