Martech SaaS Writer. Land more sales calls, webinar sign ups, and more with white papers and blog content. I also obsess about personal development, self help, and growth!
So, this a rant that most content writers or marketers should resonate with... about content and conversions. Over and over again, I hear, 'But does your content drive conversions?' The implication is that content doesn't matter unless it directly leads to sales. And no single blog post deserves $$$ in payment, neither do SMM managers do hard work, etc, because you don't see cash coming in directly. So, here's the thing: It IS reasonable to link content to outcomes. If you're writing dozens of posts and they aren't creating traffic or conversions, something isn't working, and you need to fix it. It's UNreasonable to say, 'Every post you write must lead to sales, or it's a waste of time and money.' For one thing, it doesn't work that way. For another, no product creator on the planet can ever give a 100% fail-proof guarantee that their product will help a user meet its goal every single time without exception. I've paid $$$$ to experts and businesses myself - all with the clear understanding that the most they do is increase my chances of success. Yet, there's pressure on content creators and writers to guarantee that their work MUST show results from the start, or we need to produce our content for dirt cheap. But, as I said, it doesn't work that way. Here's why: 1. No content stands on its own. Let's say you wrote a crazy creative and compelling post on social media talking about a life-changing product. It doesn't matter. Not if the rest of your website, Google business reviews, G2 reviews, documentation, and customer support aren't at level 10 as well. 2. You cannot establish authority with a single post. Say you're an expert on rainwater harvesting. You write one blog post on the benefits of rain water harvesting. Nothing else. You're not viewed as a trusted authority by Google or people with that one effort. You must have more related posts, an About page, LinkedIn, verifiable credentials, and other content to validate your claims of authority. What's the point of hankering on whether one single post you wrote worked or not? 3. Have you tried building backlinks for a website that has shitty content or no content? Do you think brands want to fork over a backlink to your low-DR site for free? They risk penalization and a loss of reputation when they link to crap. So, yeah. A body of content matters when you want to get backlinks. 4. Content is not just about sales! It's about creating a narrative around your brand that builds a relationship with your audience. It's those repeat visitors, the ones who come to trust and respect your insights, who eventually become loyal customers and brand advocates. 5. Customer journeys are a thing. People need multiple interactions with your brand before making a purchase. Each blog post, social media update, or newsletter is a cog in the wheel of a complex system designed to nurture leads over time. continued... in comments #content #seo #conversions
Martech SaaS Writer. Land more sales calls, webinar sign ups, and more with white papers and blog content. I also obsess about personal development, self help, and growth!
1mo6. Do you want to answer the same questions your customers ask repeatedly, or do you want them to find answers on their own? Content saves your support staff time by creating resources people can use to self-solve problems. 7. Impact goes beyond conversions. Duh. Too bad they're harder to measure. 8. Content can make opportunities beyond direct conversions. You could get inspiration for a book, open doors to partnerships, speaking opps, podcast invitations... content builds you up for that. So much for my TED talk on content and conversions. The next time I'm asked about this, I'm going to link to a page where I get to charge to explain why content matters and whether it leads to conversions.