copywriting

  • Marketing, SEO

    A Beginner’s Guide to SEO

    Have you ever wondered how many blog posts are published every day for SEO purposes?

    In WordPress alone, there are millions of articles posted a day, which means a couple of blog posts go out every second, with the many users WordPress has. And that’s only for WordPress. If we include other platforms, there will be way more than that.

    So, why is blogging utilized by businesses for their websites or online platforms? It’s
    because ranking on the front page of Google search is one of the deciding
    factors for business success.

    Showing up on the front page of the search engine proves that your website or page is getting more traffic than the rest of your competitors in your niche.

    This marketing technique is what we call Search Engine Optimization or SEO.

    What is SEO?

    By definition, SEO stands for search engine optimization, which we can put as the art of ranking high in a particular search engine through organic traffic.

    It is the process of optimizing your online content, such as the design and writing, so
    that Google and other search engines will show your content at the top result of searches of a specific keyword.

    To explain it further, there are three elements to it: first is your content, second is
    the search engine, and third will be the searcher.

    Let’s say you have an article about Scandinavian home décor, and you want the search engine to show it at the top result to people who would search for the phrase ‘Scandinavian décor’. Manipulating the SEO is the magic that will make your content move to the top of Google’s front page. So you should consider using keywords that are possible search terms by someone who might be interested in your content.

    Sounds easy, right? But that’s not all that there is.

    SEO Strategies

    For some, SEO sounds like something you can do in a blink of an eye – because it’s known as the magic that ranks pages high on Google search. But it is way more than that.

    It’s a long-term commitment to work on your platform’s SEO game before you can rank
    high on search engines.

    There are two ways you can work on SEO, one is a white hat or SEO for the long haul,
    while the other one is black hat or something like a get-rich-quick scheme.

    Getting traffic may not be that easy without the help of SEO, but it’s possible with Black Hat techniques.

    Black Hat Techniques

    With this type of SEO, content marketers only focus on optimizing content for the sake of
    ranking in search engines, not considering the target audience at all. In other
    words, we break the rules to rank high in search engines to get fast cash.

    However, this approach is frowned upon as it often results in spammy pages that can be
    banned fast. Or worse, it can lead to a punishment that takes away the chance
    to scale your online platform.

    Some of the ways content marketers use to dodge rules through Black Hat SEO are stated
    below:

    • Redirecting the user to another site
    • Including Duplicate Content
    • Inserting Invisible Content
    • Linking to Sites with Non-Relevant Content
    • Stuff Content with Keywords

    White Hat Techniques

    If you want to start with a clean slate and you don’t mind dedicating some time to build a
    sustainable online business, then White Hat SEO is for you. Doing this requires
    content marketers to focus on what their target audience really needs.

    Google has its own algorithm and using white hat techniques is playing by the rules of
    the search engine. Here are some of the ways you can produce the best possible
    content for SEO:

    • Create Relevant Content
    • Include Relevant Links and References
    • Label Images Properly
    • Write Complete Sentences with Good Grammar and Spelling
    • Write Unique and Relevant Page Titles

    Finally…

    This is what makes digital marketing, SEO to be exact, so fun and interesting. It’s a
    competition. And it’s a matter of which technique you use to rank high on Google’s front page.

    However, SEO is also unpredictable as search engine rules and algorithms change all the
    time. That’s why there are other techniques that resurface aside from Black Hat and White Hat, including guest posting. But ultimately, what matters is that marketing tactics must be scalable to generate ROI for your business 

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  • Branding, Marketing

    Find Your Ultimate Brand Voice

    Having a brand voice that is consistent and strong is a surefire way to stand out from competitors and be on top of the mind of consumers. After all, your brand voice is what drives all the content you deliver, from marketing to sales and customer service.

    With the advent of the digital age, lots of brands have flocked the Internet that consumers are bombarded with a cacophony of product information. Not to mention being exposed to various slogan shouts from traditional media like TV, print, and radio. That is why it has become more difficult for brands to have a distinct voice and be heard.

    Simply put, a brand copy is one of the factors that hooks consumers to your products, but the brand voice is the driving force that keeps it all forward and put together.

    When you learn how to marry brand voice with your copy, you’ve got nothing to worry about, because then your copy will work for you.

    But first, research what your potential clients would say and use the language that would pretty much get them the first time they hear about your brand.

    First, what is the voice?

    In copywriting, the voice is the sense, character, or idea the readers get when they read your content whether it’s on social media, website, blogs, etc.

    When you’re able to distinguish between the differences of your friends’ or family members’ personalities because of their own quirks, that’s their voice you recognize. Or when you find a note on the fridge and remember that messy handwriting is from a specific loved one, you know immediately who left that message—because the trust you have for them makes it easier to recognize who it was.

    As a business owner, it’s important to identify a distinct brand voice that would set off your marketing efforts. This will help your potential clients trust your brand and build authenticity for your products and services in the long run.

    To achieve that, your brand voice must have the three main ingredients: tone, rhythm, and vocabulary. Without these, you won’t be able to identify a brand voice that sticks.

    Tone is the character of the voice, it’s the color, it’s the feel of your voice.

    Rhythm is the pattern of the voice. Is it witty or serious? Does your brand prefer long sentences or short ones? It’s the musical quality of your voice.

    While Vocabulary is the words the brand use. It should be based on the tone and rhythm of the voice.

    In order to succeed in branding, the first step is to humanize your brand with a cohesive brand voice. There’s no better way to develop your brand’s voice than these writing drills you can do through the worksheet I came up with.

    By using your imagination and getting help from your team, I’m sure you’ll hit the right note in no time.

    Steps to Identifying Your Brand Voice

    1. Pinpoint your brand’s quirks – personifying your brand is the easiest way to get your buyer personas hooked. This is the main reason why there are brands you’ve completely fallen in love with and maybe, hated—because of the character they portray. Think of it the way authors develop their characters in storytelling, there are archetypes, personal wounds, motivations, and so on. These are the things that fuel your brand to achieve a distinct voice.

      Just like humans, a brand must have a personality that must be compelling enough to evoke an emotional response from consumers. This way, your brand can speak directly to leads, like an actual person.
    2. List down adjectives – This one comes as part of pinpointing your brand’s quirks, but I have to lay it out here to remind you. Talk to as many members of your company as possible to brainstorm ideas. Think of adjectives that describe your company’s purpose, or your company culture.

      To make it easier, describe the kind of character you’re building as you point out its quirks. Once the same ideas have been repeated within your team, then you must listen to that, and use those adjectives to jumpstart your brand voice.
    3. Name your ideal spokesperson. Even if you’re not planning to get one, think of a celebrity or a famous person you want to represent your brand. This is one of the easiest ways to give your brand identity.

      Once you have selected someone, briefly explain your reasons. Maybe you’ve chosen a comedian like Ellen DeGeneres for an endorser, then your brand voice must be funny. Or the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, then you may desire a sound that’s motivational and affectionate. Take your pick!
    4. Narrow down your ideas through a brand chart – Once you have identified your brand’s quirks, ideal spokesperson, and the adjectives that describe them, illustrate their relations in a chart.

      Later on, you will realize how it could be an essential tool that will serve as a reference for the copywriter and your marketing team. This is so everyone in your team can consistently use the same voice while promoting your products and services.

    Final Advice

    That’s it! I’ve created a worksheet and shared it with you all for FREE because I want you to nail down your brand’s voice, so I hope it helps. This is important because it will eventually become a guide to write powerful copy that sells. And once you sign up for one of my web copywriting services, we can dig deeper into this.

    Treat this worksheet like a piece of interview questionnaire wherein you’re trying to get to know someone’s personality through this guide. And that, my friend, is how you will develop your brand voice.

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