Every moment of our waking lives, we are bombarded by information. Colourful pictures, scrolling screens, rhythmic (and sometimes decidedly less so!) music and rapidly moving images flash continually before our eyes. This is the generation of today’s times. A world through which all that is digital runs rampant, intertwining seamlessly with our everyday lives. A place where doing without technology is as unthinkable as going through life without a limb. A world where news is delivered instantly and gossip travel even faster. And when it comes to the world wide web, content writing dominates this.
Content writing today
There are many who argue that the days of pen and paper are long over. Recent research, in fact, suggests that a paperless future may be much closer than we think. Over the past few decades, book sales have plummeted; thousands of periodicals have made the bold but necessary transition online in order to stay afloat. Authors are told to “keep it short”. Many of us have neither the time nor patience to read or write in what can now acceptably be called “the old-fashioned way”.
In which case you may be forgiven for tossing your notebook out of the window and reaching for the nearest electronic device – if it weren’t for one tiny little detail: text. The average adult may go for as long as 41 days without even touching a pen, but that doesn’t mean text – albeit typed text – isn’t still very much a part of our lives. And, much like all other multimedia used to present information or send a message, text can be created and manipulated in all manner of ways.
This is where content writing comes in. Ask any online marketer or publisher and you’ll find that writing with a purpose is all the rage right now. Whether it’s an eye-catching blog post, a simple yet effective slogan or an informative press release, targeting a specific audience to deliver a specific message plays a huge part in all that is digital. And that can only be achieved by a talented content writer. So here are five reasons why we think content writing is here to stay:
1. Content writing is effective
Writing always requires a certain amount of skill, but writing for a reason is an altogether different kettle of fish. Companies require persuasive content to attract visitors, sell their wares and advertise themselves as better than or different from other, competing companies. Given the extremely limited time window they have in order to do so, the text provided to them must be good enough to grab the reader’s attention but – more importantly – hold it for long enough to be effective. Content that delivers these two admirable qualities is always well worth investing in.
Companies with high-quality website content enjoy a number of advantages, including but not limited to:
- enhanced visitor engagement and action
- higher traffic rate
- greater visibility on social networking sites
2. Content writing is needed
Think an image alone will suffice? Think again! Whatever it is you’re selling, your visitors want a succinct but detailed overview of information before they are ready to make a purchase. And this doesn’t apply only to products. From product and service descriptions to reviews, FAQs, site information to landing pages, the demand for fun, informative and engaging content keeps growing every day. There is absolutely no business in the world which requires absolutely no content. And, if the supply-demand demographic is anything to go by, we can only predict that content writing will keep getting bigger and better.
Here are a few examples of businesses who regularly invest in high-quality content:
- online gaming sites
- travel and tourism sectors such as car rental companies and accommodation sites
- e-commerce sites
- small businesses
3. Googling
A search engine so big that using it has become an adjective, Google (according to Internet Live Stats) processes no less than 3.5 billion searches a day. So we can see why every company from all over the world is salivating for a jump on the Google bandwagon. In 2014, 95% of internet users visited only websites ranking fifth or higher in their web searches, leaving the hundreds of other listings unnoticed. This is the reason why most companies are willing to pay through the nose for content that will enhance search engine visibility.
But you cannot achieve high ranking by simply being a clever writer. Content writers who know their stuff will employ search engine optimisation (SEO) strategies. These can be appropriate keyword usage, linking, clickable headings and call-to-actions (CTAs) among other things. And, since all evidence seems to point to Google becoming a permanent fixture in our lives, there’s no doubt the search engine phenomenon can only keep growing bigger.
4. There’s always new stuff to write …
You’ve got your website up and running with some awesome content – so what’s next? It will probably come as no surprise to you that text – like any other multimedia – also has an expiry date. This means that, unless you update your content regularly, your site will slip further and further down in search engine listings, making it more difficult to find. As a result, it might potentially negatively affect the traffic coming towards your site. The Google Freshness Algorithm Update of November 2011 dictates that internet searchers look for new, engaging and currently relevant content way more often. This need for fresh content writing means that we writers will almost never be out of a job! There’s always something new to write, another article to be updated or a landing page to be made awesome!
5. … and not enough people to do it
The demand for fresh content means there are always new writers who are willing to give it a try. But having a natural flair for writing doesn’t necessarily make you a great content writer. Many companies, in fact, have difficulties finding exactly what they are looking for when it comes to great content. Writing flawlessly, using great SEO, conducting thorough research and targeting and persuading a specific audience, however, cannot be achieved by just anyone. A seamless content writer is one with plenty of experience. One who is willing to continually improve and grow within the sector, learn and above all use new strategies.
Which is why we need your help!
Our job at Topcontent is to provide our clients with all that they’re looking for when it comes to trusting us with their content. We believe you have the skills to do it! Sign up today and let us help you become the great writer we know you can be.
