Tag: toronto copywriter

How Do I Write a Blog Post?

Posted on by Sarah McKenzie in Copywriting, SEO Blog Copywriting

guy with writer's block

So you’ve had “create a blog post” on your to-do list for a few days now.

But each time you sit down in front of the keyboard, you end up looking at a blank screen…unsure of where to begin.

Sometimes starting a blog post can be the most difficult step of the entire blog writing process. But normally once the pen gets flowing – errr keys get pushed – the content seems to flow!

Need some help with thinking of a blog topic, a headline, or a great intro? Wondering how to write a blog post that will bring traffic to your site?

Below are some blog writing tips that we follow ourselves at Sarah McKenzie Copywriting Services!

How to Write a Blog Step #1) Understand Your Reader

Whether you’ve been blogging for years or have just started, coming up with fresh topics that will resonate well with your audience can be difficult.

Creating an effective blog post takes plenty of time (and sometimes sweat and tears, too!)! What’s the point in spending your (already limited) time and energy on an article that won’t be read by your target market?

Spend some time researching your audience and conducting market research to learn about their needs. This can be as simple as generating a question on your social media sites asking your audience to post industry-related questions that they want answers to.

Taking the time to fully comprehend your readers helps you create copy that won’t just get read, but shared, too.

How to Write a Blog Step #2) Generate a Topic

Now that you have a better understanding of your audience, you need to brainstorm some topics that would interest them. What do they want to read?

Check out your competition and see what type of topics are getting shared and commented on regularly. Perform keyword research to identify what search terms are most frequently getting searched in Google related to your industry.

Don’t forget about using the power of social media for your topic research, too! Follow industry leaders and read informative articles to remain up-to-date on industry trends and news. These can be great sources for time-sensitive, trend-related blog articles.

How to Write a Blog Step #3) Know What You Want to Say

It’s time to start creating your blog article now! Decide what your spin will be on the topic you’ve chosen. Maybe your competitor did a great how-to article that trended well on social media. Instead of copying that idea, make it your own. For example, change your competitors’ how-to post to an article that discusses what to avoid instead.

Your article’s intro must be engaging enough to entice a reader to continue reading. Make your article’s topic apparent right away. Doing so helps the reader to quickly identify whether your article will be useful to them or not. You don’t want to drive potential traffic away when your article seems to lack focus!

Whenever you get stuck writing, take a step back and review what you’ve written so far. Are you staying focused on your topic? Are you creating content that will keep your audience interested and engaged until the end?

In a lot of cases, experiencing writer’s block is a result of not knowing how to clearly articulate your thoughts. Take a break, and come back to your keyboard with a fresh mind.

How to Write a Blog Step #4) Craft a Catchy Title

We always create our titles after the article writing is complete.

Wondering why? From our experience, we’ve found that generating a topic right away can really roadblock our writing process. You can get so stuck on creating the perfect title that you become too frustrated to write the actual article.

After we start writing the article itself, topic generation becomes much easier for us. It almost seems to write itself! Keep in mind that the title is even more important than the content since it is what compels your audience to continue reading or not.

Don’t forget about your meta description! This helps your article appeal to readers in search results.

Conclusion

Sometimes even with the best intentions, crafting your company’s blog is just not your forte. And that’s okay!

Knowing when to outsource certain tasks to experts can bring a range of benefits to your company. If you’re interested in learning more about outsourcing your company’s blog to an experienced Toronto copywriter, we would love to help!

Blog Writing 101: What to Include in Your Next Blog Article

Posted on by Sarah McKenzie in Copywriting, SEO Blog Copywriting

computer desk

You’ve come up with a great blog topic and you’re excited to craft your next article.

But how do you ensure it will be your best one yet; that it will generate the website traffic, social media shares and comments/likes that it deserves?

Simple – by including six key requirements.

From the article’s first few lines to its final sentence, here’s what to include in every blog article you create to maximize results!

A Compelling Title

In a maximum of five seconds, a reader will decide whether they’re going to read your blog article or not. Without an interesting title, the chances of a reader continuing on is virtually zero. Why put all that effort into writing an entire blog article, without dedicating even more effort to crafting the perfect title?

A headline plays an important role. Besides clearly informing people what your article is all about, it gets readers excited to read your entire article. Plus, integrating SEO techniques into your title can compel people to click on your site in search engine results instead of your competitors’ websites.

Topic Generation

When writing a blog article, you need to write about what your reader wants to read, which may differ from what you actually want to write.

Blog articles are targeted to a certain audience and must address their needs and wants. Why would they choose your company over your competitor? How can your company’s products/services fulfill their needs?

Coming up with topics can be tough if you aren’t an experienced copywriter. You need to not only generate an interesting topic but one that will be searched on Google, too. Conducting some keyword research is key during this stage and our Toronto copywriting services can help you do that successfully!

Length

One question that we often get asked by our clients is in regards to optimal blog article length: “How long should each and every blog post be that we create?”

There’s no simple answer to that. Blog length depends on your topic, your audience and your intent.

Does your audience enjoy reading long-form copy, or are you targeting people who are already crunched for time?

How much information do you have to discuss while keeping your audience engaged?

Do you want to provide a broad overview of a topic and encourage readers to reach out to you for more information? Or do you want your blog article to address numerous questions so that you only get traffic that is more likely to convert into customers?

When it comes to blog length, we always tell our clients that it’s the quality that matters. A 1,000-word long blog post is useless if nobody will want to read it!

Readability

Your blog needs to be easy to read which is why you need to make readability a priority.

Keep sentences short, avoid flowery phrases and edit, edit, edit! Target your writing to your audience – ie. depending on who your blog’s intended for, it may be okay to use acronyms.

Don’t forget about the power of subheadings! They help break up your content so that readers short on time can skim to the exact information that interests them.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

The world of Google is constantly changing and it can be difficult to keep up.

Staying on top of the newest algorithms and SEO techniques helps your content get found by search engines. SEO cannot be learned overnight – and even the most experienced copywriter is constantly learning new tips.

Title length, keyword research, meta descriptions and more help get your content in-front of the audience you’re targeting.

Call to Action (CTA)

Each blog article you write should include a CTA that encourages some sort of action by your reader.

Maybe it’s to sign up for your e-newsletter, email you for an estimate, or download your newest e-book. Whatever you decide on, including a CTA in each of your blog articles will help grow your audience base and convert more customers.

The Bottom Line

Many company owners think that blog writing will be a very simple task. But in order to get the best results, your blog needs to include the six items above.

At the end of the day, you want to increase website traffic and get more sales. Your blog is a great way to help you achieve these goals!

For the greatest chance of blog writing success, hire a Toronto copywriter that’s experienced with writing effective blog posts. Contact us today for a free consultation!

5 Questions to Ask a Potential Copywriter

Posted on by Sarah McKenzie in Copywriting, SEO Web Copywriting

hire sign

So you’ve finally made the leap and have decided to outsource your company’s copywriting needs? Good for you! Not only will this move free up time in your busy schedule, but hiring an expert should bring you more web traffic – and a higher customer conversion rate, too.

However, getting results from your copywriting is only possible if you hire a copywriter who knows what they’re doing. Here are five important questions that will help you hire the best copywriter for your needs.

#1) How Long Have You Been a Copywriter?

Experience matters when it comes to writing copy that will be engaging, informative and accurate. Only experienced copywriters know how to make that happen.

Choose a copywriter who has been in business for at least five years. Doing so means he/she has been around long enough to establish a reputation, plus there should be plenty of work samples.

The world of copywriting – especially SEO copywriting – is constantly evolving. Someone who has been copywriting for a while will know this and should be well versed on current best practices.

#2) What Type of Industry Are You Comfortable Writing About?

As much as we hate to admit it, we’re not good at everything.

And that’s not a bad thing! At Sarah McKenzie Copywriting Services, we are firm believers that we should “do what we do best and outsource the rest” ourselves. (That’s why we don’t do our own accounting!)

The same logic applies to copywriters. Not all writers are familiar – or even interested – in writing about certain industries, so asking this question can quickly screen out unsuitable candidates.

#3) What is Your Schedule Like?

Working with a freelancer can be a challenging relationship if both parties aren’t honest with each other from the beginning.

Since most freelancers are remotely based, there isn’t a chance for many face-to-face meetings. Instead, emails and phone calls are the main communication methods used.

Freelancers likely have multiple clients and competing deadlines. If it sounds like your client already has a lot on their plate, ask how they will be able to accommodate you as a client. For example, we request that our blog clients submit their topic requests to us a minimum of two weeks in advance. Otherwise, they risk not getting their copywriting completed on schedule.

If you’re more of a last-minute person, be upfront to potential copywriters and see if this would work for him/her.

#4) Can I See Samples of Your Work?

More than likely you’ve already checked out a potential copywriter’s website by the time you reach out to them for a consult. But if you haven’t, now’s the time! Seeing for yourself what type of copy they have created in the past can give you an idea if their writing style is suitable for your company.

Asking for testimonials or references from past clients can also provide huge insight into a particular copywriter’s strengths. Getting him/her to complete a test project first (before signing a contract) can provide you with an even deeper understanding of their writing style.

#5) What Can You Tell Me About My Company?

A great copywriter takes the time to research each piece of copy they produce. To find out if your potential copywriter has this skill set, ask them to tell you what they already know about your company. Find out what he/she thinks your target market is and what style of writing should be used throughout your copy.

A copywriter who is able to answer these questions accurately means that he/she has done research prior to your interview and is genuinely interested in getting your business.

Hiring the Best Toronto SEO Copywriter For Your Needs

You’ve decided to outsource copywriting to make your life easier and get more results for your company. That’s why hiring “just any copywriter” won’t do!

If you’re going to outsource your company’s copywriting, make sure you do it right. After you’ve found some potential copywriters using these tips, be sure to ask them the five questions above. And if you’re considering hiring us as your Toronto, Hamilton, Burlington SEO copywriter, then know you’re choosing a company who is highly experienced, professional and affordable.

See for yourself! Contact us today for a free consultation about your blog, web, press release, or other copywriting needs!