by Mark Bloom | Dec 6, 2016 | Blog Writing
A Pro Frees You Up to Do What You Do Best
Hiring independent, third-party blog writers may sound like more effort than it’s worth, at least at first glance. You have to find qualified writers. You have to test them out. You have manage them. Who wants all that responsibility?
Then you remember struggling with your blog. Finding topics to write about that other people might be interested in. Spending the hours it takes to actually write the darn thing, even when you know what you want to say. And your articles never come out as well as you want them to.
All that time and effort serves to remind you why you’d at least consider hiring out the writing. So let’s list both the reasons for and benefits of hiring professional blog writers for your company website:
Reason #1: Blog Writers Are Professionals
If you hire a third-party to write your blog posts, you’re hiring a professional writer, someone who makes his (or her) livelihood by writing. This has several significant advantages:
- Professional writers hit deadlines, so your blog will never be late again.
- Professional blog writers know how to write well — they do it for a living, after all — so your blog posts will always be easy to read.
- Professional writers know how to connect with your audience.
Reason #2: Blog Writers Can Do It All for You
When you hire third-party professionals to write your blog posts, they can do it all. They present you with topics for approval. Because they’re not as close to your company as you are, they can come up with interesting topics about your business that you might not have considered.
Professional writers know how to do the time-intensive research to write about your industry. They don’t use Wikipedia or similar websites, but go to authoritative website sources for the information they need. And good professionals also have their work edited before they deliver it. Some third-party professional writers (like those at Ray Access) can manage the whole process for you, including publishing the blog posts on your website!
Reason #3: Blog Writers Free Up Your Time
If you don’t have to write blog posts for your website, you can spend your time more constructively:
- Satisfying your customers
- Managing your staff
- Improving your systems
- Making more money
You’re happier and more productive when you do the things you love to do. So if blog writing isn’t one of those things, leave it to an expert while you get to do the things you’re best at doing. In the end, you’ll save time and headaches by hiring out tasks like blog writing — just as you may do for your bookkeeping and marketing.
Reason #4: Professional Blog Writers Do It Better
If you’re not a writer, the process of writing blog posts takes you longer and the end result may not be as powerful as you’d hoped. Professional writers take pride in their work. They make it as good as it can be. They struggle over their words to make them sing.
The resulting blog posts are powerfully effective pieces of content. These articles successfully market your business. They help your customer base by answering questions and building trust. Blogging works to attract visitors to your website. Attract more visitors with a professionally written blog. Because that’s what professional blog writers do.
Ray Access is a content marketing firm that delivers targeted words to empower your business. Contact us about your specific project to receive a quote or discuss your needs. We write website copy, blog posts, e-newsletters and more. Everything we do is thoroughly researched, professionally edited and guaranteed original.
by Elle Ray | Jun 10, 2014 | Writing
How to Write Effectively in the 21st Century
Today’s Shakespeares look harder at page rankings and reader conversion numbers than at what’s actually on the page. But those days are fast coming to a close. Search engines have been tweaked to recognize the keyword-stuffed, quick-hit advert-articles that have plagued the Web for years. Now they are seeking — nay, demanding — that you put consistent, meaningful quality content on your website or just go home.
The Long or Short of It
The average visitor to a website leaves within 10 to 20 seconds — but that assumes there is obviously nothing of value on the page. Research now shows that if you can capture the attention of readers within those first important seconds, you can keep them there for much longer. And the longer the visit, the more likely you’ll make a sale.
The days of needing to keep blogs, Web pages and articles short to hold readers’ attention are gone. Born again is the prospect of enticing readers to continue reading, to find value in your writing and to stay — and even scroll — to finish your piece. According to researchers at Microsoft, the length of your copy is not as important as the first few lines of copy you offer. So whether you write 250 words or 2,500 words, if you don’t capture readers’ attention in the first couple lines, they’re out of there. Click.
Search Engines Like Quality
Now, attracting readers in the first place is another story. The top 10 listings on Google for a sample keyword search each had more than 2,000 words on their landing pages. The sites aren’t ranked high just because they have a lot of copy; they receive the top spots because they have a lot of rich copy — words that convey a useful message, a message that readers want to read and can’t stop reading. Websites that provide more of what readers want are getting the most respect from search engines.
The adage that’s been working its way through the Web-marketing world the last few years is: “Copy is king.” It seems now that copy is king, queen, jack and the entire court.
Readers Like Quality
Readers prefer rich copy, too. They are more willing to re-post blogs with longer, useful content than shorter, unappealing copy. Quick Sprout analyzed 327 blog posts and found that posts with more than 1,500 words received 22.6 percent more likes on Facebook and 68.1 percent more tweets than shorter articles.
One phenomena linked to these findings is that people are searching for more complex terms than ever before, using up to eight words in a search — which by the way is called a “long tail.” With more copy, you increase the odds that you’ll fit those searches. When they find you, the odds also increase that readers will convert to customers too.
So when asked whether it’s better to write more or less, the answer today is: “More is better!” Richer is better and more is better. But when you’ve got to have it all done right, more rich content is something that we at Ray Access can do too.
Ray Access Today
We’ve bought into the traditional rap that blogs need to be fewer than 500 words to be effective. But we’re retuning our concepts to align with the Google monster that rules so much of what occurs on the Web. Expect to see longer blogs from us occasionally. It’s still time-consuming, and we’ll have to charge more for longer blogs, but with the right combination of length and quality, we expect to get better results, just as you will.
We can’t just throw up some nonsense blog or give you just a quick peek at a really hot new trend. We’ve got to give you reasons and research, reality and really rich rewards if we expect you to stay. And if we expect you to convert and call us, we better give you something worth your while. Let us know. Did we?
Ray Access is a content marketing firm that delivers targeted words to empower your business. Contact us about your specific project to receive a quote or discuss your needs. We write website copy, blog posts, e-newsletters and more. Everything we do is thoroughly researched, professionally edited and guaranteed original.
by Mark Bloom | Jun 4, 2014 | Writing
Choosing the Right Tone and Language
Targeting your website — or any communication from your company to your customers — is a matter of building a relationship. To make that connection, you have to use language that’s familiar to those you’re trying to reach. For example, it may be all right to use slang when you’re writing to attract teenagers, but not when your audience is composed of CEOs.
The language and style you employ in your writing should be geared to the audience — the customers — you want to attract. Speak their language, and you stand a better chance of connecting with them. If you build a relationship with your target demographic, whatever it is, you’ll stand a better chance of selling your products or services to them.
How Ray Access Does It
When we take on new clients, we always pose the same set of questions. One of them includes who their customers are: the general public, doctor’s offices, or women aged 35–55. Your target audience defines how we will write both your website and your blog posts.
We like to meet our clients in person, to get a feel for who they are and to listen to them when they speak. When we start writing for them, we set aside time for the client to approve the style and language, as well as the content, of our initial draft. We expect some back-and-forth of the copy until our client approves.
One time, a client removed all the contractions we’d put into the copy. Another client changed specific words. It’s exactly the kind of feedback we want at this stage. Once we know our client’s preferences, in addition to the target audience, we know we can deliver content that will appeal to both our client and the intended audience.
How You Can Do It
If you want to create your own content — for your website, your blog, or your brochure — you must know who you want to read what you write. Who is your audience? Who will buy your products or services? Write to them in a friendly, engaging way.
Whether you need to be formal or casual depends on both your personality and your audience. Study your competitor’s websites. See what type of language they use. Are they doing a good job connecting to their audience? How can you be different enough to stand out? These simple questions can point you in the right direction.
When You Can’t Do It
If you get stuck, or if you don’t know where to start despite the advice in this article, contact Ray Access for help. We are pros when it comes to writing your website, your blog posts, your brochure or whatever you need. We’ve written hundreds of blog posts for a diverse set of clients. We’ve written websites as small as six pages and as large as over a hundred pages. Since we are a partnership, we write and edit everything that we send to you, so you can be sure it’s clean copy free of errors.
Let us be your voice to your customers!
Ray Access is a content marketing firm that delivers targeted words to empower your business. Contact us about your specific project to receive a quote or discuss your needs. We write website copy, blog posts, e-newsletters and more. Everything we do is thoroughly researched, professionally edited and guaranteed original.
by Elle Ray | Mar 23, 2014 | Writing
Anyone Can Benefit from These Tips, Even You!
Here at Ray Access, we are professional writers. We became writers the old-fashioned way: we worked at it by writing and rewriting. You can too. Here are three simple things you can do to improve your writing skills.
1. Read
That’s right: reading helps your writing. Ideally, we suggest that you read the types of things you want to write. If you want to write science fiction, load your shopping cart with Isaac Asimov and Arthur C. Clark. If you want to write for the newspaper, read — not scan, but really read — everything from the local rag to the New York Times. And of course, if you want to blog, read other blogs. Like this one!
Here’s how it works: when you read, your mind takes in the words on the page, the ideas behind those words, and the way the words are strung together. Before you can write like a genius, you have to know what a genius writes like.
It’s also important to read a variety of authors, so when you begin to write, you don’t subconsciously copy the tone and cadence of the one you like the best. A little of that likely will happen anyway, but your influences gradually fade as your own voice becomes stronger.
2. Write
Like any skill, writing requires practice to improve. If you wanted to become a better baseball pitcher, you’d have to practice throwing. To become a better carpenter, you spend years refining your skills and knowledge. Writing is no different.
Now you’ve probably heard that writing is an “art,” meaning it’s something only artists can do. At a certain level, that’s true, but very few people reach that level. For the rest of us, writing is a craft, like knitting or driving. The more you do it — when you have the intention of improving; when you do it consciously — the better you’ll get at it.
The best advice for becoming a better writer is to write. Practice every day. It doesn’t matter what you write about or how good that writing is. Just keep writing. Keep a journal. Your writing will improve the more you do it.
3. Solicit Constructive Criticism
When you feel you’re ready to share your writing, find a person or a group who promise to be brutally honest. Sharing your writing with your mother or your best friend might be nice for them, but it usually will not improve your writing. You need an objective, impartial reader.
Writers need feedback. Writers need to have their work read. It’s the primary reason Mark left the lucrative field of technical writing: no one reads technical manuals except other technical writers. Mark needed a broader audience. You will too when you suddenly find yourself writing.
So continue to read, write every day, and seek outside feedback. These are three things you can do, in order, to become a better writer. Writing a blog post will no longer feel like climbing Mount Everest. Composing a letter or email will no longer take all day. And maybe someday you can join the ranks of professional writers, just like Linda and Mark of Ray Access.
Ray Access is a content marketing firm that delivers targeted words to empower your business. Contact us about your specific project to receive a quote or discuss your needs. We write website copy, blog posts, e-newsletters and more. Everything we do is thoroughly researched, professionally edited and guaranteed original.
by Elle Ray | Feb 13, 2014 | Website Content
How to Get a More Profitable Business Website
You can’t escape it. Sooner or later, you’ll need to provide business information — in writing — to clients, prospects, the government or the public at large. Whether you run a small business or occupy a small corner of the org chart at a multinational corporation, you need to be able to formulate a persuasive sentence.
If you’re one of the many businesspeople who lack writing skills, you should practice more. As more of your communication ends up online, more people will be influenced, either positively or negatively, by your words. Improving your writing can result in marked improvement in your business options. There’s no substitute for practice, but here are a few pointers to put you on the right track.
1. Less is more.
On a website, concision matters. Ironically, as written information becomes more important, people are less willing to read. Use words sparingly, cut out the florid prose and avoid meandering sentences. As Zorro taught his son: “Get in, make your Z and get out!”
2. Avoid jargon.
No one likes reading about “blue-sky solutioneering” and “strategical synergies” that ultimately mean nothing. If you mean “brainstorming” and “opportunities to work together,” simply say it. While jargon can be unavoidable when writing for a specific audience, use plain language whenever possible.
3. Write once, check twice.
It’s hardly fair — typos happen — but people judge you for those mistakes anyway, and harshly. To cut down on those mistakes, proofread immediately after you write and then again hours or even days later. Nothing is more embarrassing than a stupid typo in an otherwise fine document.
4. Write once, check twice.
Yes, again. This time, re-read your work to catch errors in tone that might cause trouble. For instance, if you’re upset or angry, you may write something you don’t actually want anyone else to read. Make sure your work says what you want it to say and how you want it to say it, before letting it reach its audience.
5. Pay attention to names, titles and genders.
The one thing more embarrassing than a typo is calling Mr. Smith “Ms. Smith.” If you’re not sure about the spelling of a name, job title or gender, check with someone who knows (like an assistant) or use gender-neutral language. Get the names wrong, and your readers will question everything you write.
6. Save templates.
Whenever you write a blog post or article, save it as a template for future use. You can save time and avoid common errors by using an existing document when you begin a new piece. Keep the headers, bullets, references and company information so you just have to fill in the new content.
7. Be professional, not necessarily formal.
Business communication needn’t be formal. While formal language works for legal documents and job applications, it can obfuscate your meaning. Remember, however, that informal writing doesn’t mean being unprofessional. Keep personal comments and off-color jokes out of your business writing.
8. Remember the 5 W’s (and the H).
Your writing should answer all the questions your audience might ask: Who, what, when, where, why, and how. Who is your audience? What should they know? When and where will it apply? Why is it important? And how should they use it? Use the 5W+H formula to ensure your information is complete.
9. Include a call to action.
Business websites are meant to achieve a purpose, so include a call to action on every page. A call to action directs the reader to do something. Don’t leave it to your readers to decide what to do with the information you’ve provided; most won’t bother. Tell them what to do and how to do it.
10. Don’t provide too many choices.
Ideally, you shouldn’t provide any choices to your readers. Just tell them what you want them to do and why they should do it. At most, give them two options and ask them to pick one. Too many choices can lead to “analysis paralysis,” which probably isn’t the result you’re hoping for.
11. What’s in it for readers?
Effective writing describes benefits, not features. Your readers want to know how to make their lives better. For example, nobody cares that Windows 7 runs in 64-bit mode. What they care about is that 64 bits runs faster than 32 bits, and getting work done more quickly is a benefit.
12. Hire a freelancer.
If writing is not your strength, hire a professional writer. Freelancers aren’t just for marketing material; a good freelance writer can produce corporate newsletters, blog posts, wiki entries, and much, much more. Expect to pay $35 to $45 an hour for good writing. Anyone who charges less is either not very good or not very business savvy. Ray Access is proven content provider in Asheville.
Ray Access is a content marketing firm that delivers targeted words to empower your business. Contact us about your specific project to receive a quote or discuss your needs. We write website copy, blog posts, e-newsletters and more. Everything we do is thoroughly researched, professionally edited and guaranteed original.
by Elle Ray | Nov 24, 2013 | Blog Writing
The Worst Blog You’ll See Is the Outdated One
As we like to say: “If you aren’t paying attention to your website, it’s likely not paying attention to you.”
We can say the very same thing about your blog, a crucial extension of your site. A blog is an easy, inexpensive way to communicate with your customers. A blog can relate news that affects consumers, innovations they want to learn about, and invitations to hot events and happenings.
But what if you’ve lost the steam needed to keep it up or you’ve just plain run out of time to add new posts each week? Here are seven tips for writing your blog:
1. Find Interesting Content
If you run into an interesting article or blog from another source during your everyday reading or research, you can write a short post introducing the other article. At the end of your short summary explaining why it’s important, include a link to it. If it’s truly interesting, your readers will thank you for sharing it.
2. Create a Calendar
Set aside an hour each week to write a blog or search for an interesting post to add to your website. Add it to your to-do list every week, and you’ll find the time. Don’t forget to allocate time to periodically brainstorm for new topics so you can devote your writing time to actual writing.
3. Organize to Simplify
Break down your schedule to focus on different topics every week. For example, choose the first week of the month to write about industry trends, the second week to write about economic forecasts, the third week for news-related or seasonal pieces and the last week to post a round-up of other blogs related to your business or your location.
4. Invite Guests
Blogs are easier when others write it. Solicit guest posts. Read them over carefully before publishing, but letters of appreciation or customer stories make effective blog posts. Pose questions to experts and then print their responses to give your readers even more in-depth information about your business.
5. Maximize Your Efforts
Whenever you do write a new blog, post it to your Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts. In fact, it can work both ways. Why should a popular Facebook post be confined to Facebook? Post it (with the discussion) on your blog. Your friends and followers will appreciate some meat in their social links instead of just the day-to-day ramblings that so often fill the social pages.
6. Examine Your Goals
Every quarter or so, stop and review your goals to make sure you’re not spinning your wheels. If you started your blog to inform and educate your customers, are you using it for that purpose? Or have you moved on to actively marketing your business? Or are you using the blog to generate new sales? When you have a clear picture of your audience, it’s easier to write for them and keep topics on target.
7. Hire Us
If your business has taken off, and you no longer have time to write a weekly blog, contact us. We’ll imitate your voice and craft fresh new content every week to fit your calendar.
If you just can’t get motivated to start a business blog but you realize you need one, contact Ray Access, and we’ll handle the whole process, from developing ideas to turning in perfect copy. We guarantee original content, thoroughly researched and professionally edited. It’s what we do.
Ray Access is a content marketing firm that delivers targeted words to empower your business. Contact us about your specific project to receive a quote or discuss your needs. We write website copy, blog posts, e-newsletters and more. Everything we do is thoroughly researched, professionally edited and guaranteed original.
