As each generation reaches adulthood, it gains purchasing power and influence over the consumer market. As a result, businesses need to adjust their marketing tactics to target each subsequent generation.

Gen Z consists of people born between 1997-2012. It’s not uncommon for older generations to poke a sly finger at Gen Z’s consumer spending behaviors and “film anywhere and everything” mentality. But the truth is that Gen Z isn’t just partaking in the digital and consumer industry; they’re dictating it.

Gen Z currently makes up a whopping 40 percent of the consumer industry. By 2026, it’s estimated that Gen Z will exceed the number of millennials and become the biggest U.S. consumer base. With such a large digital hand in the consumer industry, learning to appeal to their likes and interests is not only recommended but crucial to seeing marketing growth.

If you’re looking to grab the attention of Gen Z, here are a few things to consider when crafting your content marketing strategy:

Have a Presence on the Right Social Media Platforms

When it comes to marketing, knowing where to target your content is the first step. For Gen Z, that’s social media. According to a recent Statista study, almost 70 percent of Gen Z shoppers are likely to purchase a product or service they’ve seen on social media.

But not all social platforms are created equal.

For Gen Zers under 17, Instagram is the platform of choice. Those who are 18 to 27 prefer YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and TikTok (in that order).

TikTok’s popularity continues to rise, making it one of the best platforms to market to Gen Z. Here are some Gen Z TikTok stats to think about:

• 78 percent of 12 to 15-year-olds use TikTok
• 80 percent of 16 to 17-year-olds use TikTok
• 67 percent of 18 to 19-year-olds use TikTok
• 56 percent of 20 to 29-year-olds use TikTok

Utilize the Power of Video

If there is one major tip to learn when marketing content to Gen Z, it is to utilize the power of video. In particular, TikTok and Instagram Reels. Both receive more user engagement by the day.

TikTok celebrates its short-form video concept by featuring real user videos in this commercial. The montage features celebrities such as American DJ Steve Aoki, makeup artist transformations, dance videos, and heartwarming family moments.

Short-form videos are here to stay, and the sooner you can utilize their power, the stronger your marketing strategy will become. As you develop your content marketing strategy to engage Gen Z, it’s best to consider visuals and brainstorm topics that can be easily turned into captivating short-form videos.

Grab their attention from the beginning

Society as a whole has undergone significant development in the consumer industry. Products can be ordered with same-day delivery, and food can be ordered and delivered to your doorstep, often within an hour or less. The idea of ‘instant’ and ‘fast’ is synonymous with standard business operations, and the same can be said for content marketing.

Gen Z is used to short TikTok videos and Instagram reels. This is why marketing to Gen Z should utilize content that grabs the audience’s attention from the start and should be concise in duration.

Think outside the box

We get that this is a rather obvious tip when it comes to content marketing. But thinking outside the box could not be more poignant than when it comes to marketing to Gen Z. In fact, 51 percent of Gen Z believe they are more creative than previous generations. With the rise of Gen Z influencers, budding business owners, and content creators on every social platform, Gen Z has the evidence to support their claims.

This is why content marketing must now go above and beyond in creativity. Slapping a basic infographic or cliche advertisement together simply won’t cut it. Gen Z demands that marketing attempts be as creative or more than what they could develop themselves.

Take advantage of influencer marketing

When it comes to buying products, Gen Z invests ample time in researching reviews to aid in their decision-making. The Gen Z population uses influencers as a trusted source for product recommendations, moreso than family and friends. With all this in mind, incorporating influencer marketing into your marketing strategy should be explored as a viable option.

Another clever way to apply influencer marketing is to collaborate with an influencer that will pass the digital baton to your own channel. Nava Rose, notoriously known for being a celebrated fashion influencer on TikTok, did just that in a collaboration with Target.

In this video, Nava Rose tells her viewers she’s expecting a giant PR package. We see a delivery truck drop off two items: a large cherry-red trunk that says “Target Drop” and a smaller box. Nava Rose opens the smaller box and finds a scratcher card. The card reveals a secret password to open the lock on the chest. After successfully unlocking the chest, Nava Rose asks the audience if they’re ready to see what’s inside. When the audience believes they’ll see the unveiling, Nava Rose yells, “Just kidding!” and directs the audience to Target’s channel to see what’s inside.

With so much time already devoted to watching Nava Rose receive and figure out how to open the special delivery, curious viewers are significantly more inclined to head over to Target’s channel to see what fabulous finds are stored inside the trunk. In doing so, Target not only receives an influx of exposure and engagement from Nava Rose’s audience on their own channel but also increases lead generation. As more viewers head to their channel and watch their content, Target boosts the chances of these new viewers heading over to the Target website to further explore or purchase an item that was featured in a video or other related products.

Stand for something

For Gen Z, social media isn’t just a platform to post outfit transition videos and aesthetic selfies. Although Gen Z is highly involved in the digital world, their interests also lie in the physical world or, more importantly, speaking up for their values to elicit change in the world around them.

Take Greta Thunburg, for example. The now 21-year-old Thunburg is an environmental and climate activist and was named Time magazine’s Person of the Year in 2019 when she was only 16 years old. Although young in age, her impact and voice within the community reverberated across international borders. She urges people of power to stand for their values and make a significant change because “We can’t just continue living as if there was no tomorrow because there is a tomorrow,” said Thunburg.

While Gen Z may not need a global movement for every product or business that markets to them, they do want to see corporate social justice. This goes beyond corporate social responsibility. Gen Z wants to see businesses truly making a change in their community and within their own companies. In fact, 78 percent of Gen Z would prefer to buy from brands that produce goods sustainably.

Make your marketing interactive

Social media gives businesses and marketers so many ways to engage their audience. An important Gen Z marketing strategy is to make your marketing interactive. If you’re on Instagram, try utilizing Polls or Questions in your Instagram Stories. Rolling out a new design and can’t decide on the color scheme? Display both color palettes on your Instagram Stories and use a Poll to ask your followers to decide between your top two color schemes.

Not only is this a great way to directly see what your audience prefers, but using interactive methods increases your user engagement and allows your followers to feel like they are a part of your brand. The more included and attached they feel to a brand, the more willing they are to support it.

Using Questions in Instagram Stories is also a great way to market to Gen Z. Rolling out a new summer product line dedicated to vitamin C? Use the Questions tool on your Instagram Stories. Ask your audience to submit questions and answer them during an Instagram Live Q&A. Your Q&A will be more focused and users who submitted a question will make a bigger effort to watch the live stream.

Sephora is a great example of this. They hold regular Beauty Chat Room live streams where users can tune in and chat in questions and engage with the host and special guests, which have included founders, staff members, and celebrity guests like Lady Gaga.

Use user-generated content

Gen Z is constantly creating and posting on its digital platforms. With so many users out there creating engaging content, why not utilize their talents and feature user-generated content in your own content marketing?

A great example of this is Airbnb’s global campaign, Made Possible By Hosts. Airbnb’s campaign highlighted real-life photos so the audience can picture themselves on vacation. Airbnb reached out to a select few photographers and asked them to book an Airbnb listing while photographing their experience. These photos were the heart of the campaign. The resulting videos acted as a cozy picture slideshow from your family vacation instead of a marketing video.

In this particular marketing video, a family visits an Airbnb in Italy and photographs many of the new foods their baby got to admire and try. From gelato to pasta to fresh fruit, the audience gets to see lived-in, candid moments while simultaneously making viewers feel nostalgic and want to create new memories for themselves.

Start Marketing to Gen Z

As with all marketing efforts, to successfully target and market Gen Z, you must research the demographic, their behaviors, and active interests. This article is just the tip of the iceberg.

As a highly creative generation of individuals, Gen Z demands innovation and imagination in your content marketing strategy.  They value transparency and support brands whose voice aligns with their own morals and beliefs.

Whether you’re looking to create a few content pieces or craft an entire campaign towards Gen Z, ClearVoice is here to help.  Our managed content creation and expert writers can help you tailor your content to capture the attention of the next generation. Talk to a strategist today to get started.

The post How to Market Content to Gen Z in 2025 appeared first on ClearVoice.

By providing an enticing offer, using compelling copy, and functional design, a solid landing page not only helps you achieve your business goals, but it also helps consumers achieve their own goals.

What is a landing page?

In line with its name, a landing page is typically the page a consumer lands on after clicking on an ad for a product or service. A landing page can be any page on your website, or it can be a standalone page created for a specific marketing campaign.

Regardless of the type of page, the most important component of a landing page is how well it converts leads. In simple terms: How successful are you in getting potential consumers to do what you want them to do?

Best practices for building a landing page

There are several essential components to a landing page. Here are some of the most crucial best practice tips for building a landing page that converts.

Figure out your goal

When creating the best landing page content, the first thing you need to figure out is: What is your goal? What do you want your potential customer to do?

Here are just a few standard questions to help you decipher your landing page goals.

For this landing page, how do you want to better your business?

• Increase sales?
• Gain more clients?
• Grow your newsletter?
• Fill capacity for an event?
• Establish yourself or your business as a resource?
• Grow the number of users?

This goal will direct everything on your landing page. From the copy, to the images, to the call-to-action buttons scattered throughout the landing page, to the design, every piece of content should support the end goal you are trying to achieve.

Achieve your goal with an offer

Once you figure out your goal, it’s time to sweeten the deal with an offer. In order for a landing page to convert, both parties need to benefit.

To reach your business goal, you need potential leads to convert or complete an action. For potential consumers to complete this action, you need to provide them with something they deem valuable. This valuable token is your offer and will prompt what action the consumer needs to complete.

What kind of offers can I provide?

The offer you provide will largely depend on the niche goal of your landing page. Using the same list of business goals above, here are a few general ways to connect your goal with the offer or action the consumer needs to take.

• Business goal: Increase sales >> Consumer action: Buy a product or service
• Business goal: Gain more clients >> Consumer action: Book an appointment
• Business goal: Grow your newsletter >> Consumer action: Subscribe with their email address
• Business goal: Fill capacity for an event >> Consumer action: Register their attendance
• Business goal: Establish yourself or your business as a resource >> Consumer action: Download your e-book
• Business goal: Grow the numbers of users >> Consumer action: Sign up for a free trial

Let’s take a closer look at some juicy offers that can entice the pickiest of consumers.

HelloFresh

HelloFresh is a meal delivery service where you can choose different recipes to try out, and all the pre-portioned ingredients will be delivered to your doorstep. HelloFresh offers various meal plans where you can customize food and nutrition preferences and how many recipes you want each week.

As a business, HelloFresh’s goal is to grow its subscriber count and as an introductory offer, new leads can try out HelloFresh by receiving 16 meals free (and three bonus surprises).

This offer reduces the stress of commitment and allows users to truly experience the convenience of the meal service in hopes that consumers will continue to subscribe once their free trial is complete.

Rare Beauty

Rare Beauty is celebrity and singer Selena Gomez’s new makeup line. When you visit the website, a pop-up landing page appears onscreen offering a free mini mascara to those who subscribe to their emails.

The brand hopes the consumer likes the teaser product enough to try other products, while the email subscription allows Rare Beauty to frequently be in the user’s inbox and remind them of why they should buy more products.

Create compelling landing page content

Creating a landing page that encourages potential leads to convert must have compelling copy. Landing page copy can slightly differ from the copy on your website or product description pages simply because it is usually shorter in length and has a specified goal.

Because your landing page revolves around this one defined purpose, the copy is more tailored to the niche goal you are trying to achieve. To beef up your landing page’s copy, here are a few aspects to incorporate.

Optimized headline

Create a great landing page title that is simple, enticing, and utilizes keywords related to your business.

Key features

What key features and details can your potential consumer look forward to? Listing out key features will set a realistic expectation of what they will receive when signing up for your offer. However, it’s important to write about your key features in a way that is digestible and interesting (see below!).

Concise description

While it’s important to list out some key features, it’s also important to make sure you are not just rattling out a yawn-worthy list of technical aspects, but are instead identifying your key features and translating them into how each feature will help the consumer solve a problem and better their life.

Use landing page design to help, not distract

If your customer can’t easily figure out what they’re supposed to do or what you provide on your landing page, you’ve lost the opportunity to convert. Don’t make your potential lead wade through novels of text.

Instead, make sure you utilize functional design as a tactic to enhance your content, not distract from it.

Here are some factors to keep in mind as you create your landing page.

Simplify text by turning them into visual points

Instead of writing a long and drawn-out paragraph on our landing page, we choose to highlight valuable aspects by turning them into simplified icons with minimal text.

Insert multiple call-to-action buttons

You never know at which point a potential lead will want to convert while scrolling through your landing page.

Insert multiple buttons throughout the entirety of the landing page to give the consumer multiple chances to easily click on the button and complete the desired action.

Taking a look at our HelloFresh example again, this one landing page has five buttons in various placements for consumers to easily click on and receive their free meals.

Flaunt your fans

When it comes to creating a landing page that converts, use the opportunity to flaunt your fans. Sometimes, real-life reviews from real-life people are the best conversion catalysts.

As you build your landing page content, add a small section where you can highlight people’s positive reviews. Make sure to add a diversity of reviews from people of different backgrounds, ages, and genders that touch on an assortment of positive features related to your product or service.

Going back to our ClearVoice example, we selected a few positive reviews from real users who have worked with us before.

Optimize your page

Speed matters. Let’s say you own a jewelry store, and your newest ad shows a glittering marquis-shaped diamond engagement ring. A browsing bride-to-be comes across your ad on a social platform and audibly gasps at the beauty of the ring.

She clicks on the ad and is taken to a landing page of the ring, but the page is taking forever to load.

She patiently waits, in hopes that this is the ring of her dreams! But after a long minute goes by, the ring’s hero image is still only partially loaded, leaving the bride-to-be’s interest fully disappointed.

From using keywords in your copy and optimizing visual images, your landing page should be fully optimized so users can focus on your landing page content and not on how poorly your landing page functions. You’ll also want to track your landing page success to learn what’s working to keep visitors scrolling and converting.

Ask for guidance, if needed

Nowadays, there are many landing page builders to help entrepreneurs and business owners get started. However, if building landing pages is simply out of your comfort zone or time allowance, smart marketers and business owners know when to outsource experts in order to get the best results.

If you know you need help with copy or landing page design, hire landing page writers or lead generation designers and strategists who can do the job—and do it well.

Get started

Constructing landing page content that converts boils down to how well you can entice your consumer, what value (or offer) you provide them, and how frequently potential leads turn into actual consumers.

Through compelling copy, easy-to-navigate design, and an optimized landing page, you can achieve your business goals while helping consumers achieve their own goals.

Get landing page content that informs and persuades your target audience to take the desired action. Our talented team of writers and SEO experts will craft copy that converts — and all you have to do is talk to a content specialist to get started.

The post How to Create Landing Page Content That Converts appeared first on ClearVoice.

If you’ve ever wondered if a business blog is for you, the answer is yes. And with the right blog content, this seemingly small thing could result in big growth.

What is the difference between a blog and a company website?

First things first: What is the difference between a blog and a company website?

A website holds all of your company’s core content. A website contains landing pages filled with various information relating to the company. Basic landing pages for a business website include everything from the:

• Home page: gives the customer an overview and overall feel for your business and what it offers
• About page: highlights the mission, core values, and founding story of your company
• Products or Services pages: uses top-notch product descriptions, these pages expand on the products or services you offer
• Contact page: tells people how to get a hold of you through phone, physical address, email, and social media links

Blogs can be a website of their own or can be housed on a website. Instead of website pages, blogs use blog posts. A blog allows you to provide longer forms of content to educate, entertain, update, and connect with your consumers. While not having a blog on your website won’t doom your business, websites that do have blogs produce an average of 67% more leads per month. And in the business world, more leads equal more potential sales.

Benefits of adding a blog to your business website

Other than increasing the amount of leads per month, adding a blog to your business website has many other benefits.

Boosts SEO

71% of bloggers say that SEO is the most important source of their traffic. SEO, an abbreviation for search engine optimization, essentially helps a website or blog (or any piece of digital content) to gain more visibility in a search engine’s results. When a user searches for a phrase online, search engine “spiders” use specific tools to crawl through millions of digital contents and help them find the best results to give back to the searcher.

Although we might not have the technological super-computer brain of a search engine spider, there are simple, but highly beneficial ways to boost your company’s SEO and online presence.

To elevate your SEO through your blog:

• Add keywords to your blog posts
• Strategically create purposeful filenames and alt tags for your blog images
• Compose blog posts with a higher word count (the ideal blog post content length to boost your chances of social media shares is around 1,500 to 2,000 words)
• Incorporate internal links (links to your own content) and external links (links to other people’s content)

Increases sales and other income

Having a blog on your business website may generate more leads, which sets your business up for more potential sales. With the right blog content, you can help consumers make a decision and persuade them to buy a product they were on the fence about.

For example, if you own a skincare line and a user is debating buying the product, use a blog post to educate them enough to inspire a purchase. Create a blog post that goes into depth about the ingredients, how these ingredients transform the skin, and how this product successfully improved Suzie’s skin and gave her the confidence to step in front of the camera as a television food host.

Another way to improve sales and side income is by incorporating affiliate links throughout your blog posts. When readers click on an affiliate link, it will lead them to a product on an affiliate partner’s platform. If the user purchases the product after clicking on your affiliate link, you will receive a portion of the proceeds. With enough affiliate links, you have the potential to gain side income. Bloggers who earn between $7,500 to $25,000 monthly receive 42.2% of their revenue through affiliate links.

Establishes you as an industry expert

By adding a blog to your business website, you can establish yourself as an industry expert. Use your blog to educate your audience about topics that relate to your business. The more helpful content you post, the more your audience will recognize your business blog as a goldmine of information. In doing so, they’ll use it as a resource they continually come back to and may share your content with friends, family, and colleagues.

Blog content ideas for businesses

Starting a blog starts with a few good pieces of content. To help build a solid foundation for your business blog, here are a few stellar blog content ideas to add to your editorial strategy.

Customer success stories

Sometimes, the most helpful and persuasive tactics to convince an individual to buy a product is to let others convince them for you. Gather customer success stories and create blog posts that expand on how your product or service helped turn this customer’s life around. By hearing how impactful something is from multiple mouths, a potential consumer will be more inclined to believe the value of the product or service.

‘Get to know us’ pieces

Consumers like to know there’s some humanity behind an organization. Use your blog to display Get To Know Us pieces. Feature fun Q&As about your staff, talk about the grueling process behind creating your new storefront, add fun recaps of your company events, and other fun, lifestyle pieces for your audience to get to know the people behind the brand.

Frequently asked questions

Whether on social media, email, or somewhere in between, businesses encounter a hurricane of questions from their audience. One way to establish yourself as an industry expert is to use those frequently asked questions to create blog posts. If you notice that users tend to consistently ask particular questions, write a blog post for each top reoccurring question and offer education, advice, or a product that will help make the audience’s life a little easier.

Guest posts

Want a fresh new perspective for your blog? Collaborate with another industry expert, influencer, or community leader and have them write guest posts for your blog. Highlighting guest writers opens you up to a new audience. To gain the most amount of traffic, agree to promote the blog on both parties’ social media platforms.

Keywords

Another blog content idea is to create articles based on keywords related to your business. Using a keyword search tool, write down popular search terms and use those terms as a starting list for potential blog topics. Not only will you create relevant content for your consumers, inserting in-demand keywords throughout your blog post will increase your SEO.

Get started

Having a blog on your website can only benefit your business. Blogs will level up your SEO game, create more leads, increase sales, and establish your blog as a hub of relevant information. If you’re looking for new blog content ideas, try featuring customer success stories, addressing your consumer’s frequently asked questions, or giving users a sneak peek at what’s behind the curtain.

Maintaining a blog and adding consistent content can be time-consuming. If you find yourself needing a fairy blog godmother, opt for some help! By hiring freelance writers or a content creation agency like ClearVoice, you can find talented writers to create consistent, impactful content and improve your business blog strategy.

The post What Type of Content Should Business Blogs Create? appeared first on ClearVoice.

Business owners should add the job “master juggler” to their résumé because, more often than not, they’re always juggling a smorgasbord of action items at once.

While these entrepreneurs and their companies may aptly handle business operations, it’s not uncommon for smaller things to fall through the cracks… even if those seemingly small things — like building a blog — can help grow their business in a big way.

Clearly, having a blog is a great investment, but for companies that are already running at high speeds, adding one more item to the docket could be the tipping point.

To combat this, companies that want to develop a blog, but simply don’t have the luxury of time, can outsource their blog content to freelance writers.

Learn the benefits of outsourcing blog content to freelancers, what type of writer to hire, and how to get started.

What are the benefits of outsourcing blog content?

Hiring a writer to produce blog content is a smart way to level up your business game. Here are just a few benefits of outsourcing blog content (and content creation as a whole).

Cost-effectiveness

Hiring employees costs both time and money. According to Glassdoor, the average in-house writer makes an average of $49,000 a year.

But before you can even offer an in-house writer a salary, you need to interview a pool of candidates and vet their skills and ability to mesh with your current team. This process requires input and ample time from a host of individuals and departments.

By outsourcing to a blog writer, you can reduce the amount of time spent searching for a full-time writer and reduce the costs of a yearly salary.

Regardless of whether you hire a writer based on an hourly rate, monthly retainer, or a per-blog budget, you will save more money in the long-run, while still receiving quality content.

Consistent content

Consistency is key! Although business owners may be able to bust out a blog piece or two every once in a while, consistency is crucial when it comes to building a blog.

By outsourcing your blog writing to freelance writers, you can receive consistent, high-quality content based on the frequency you agree upon. Whether your writer submits three blogs a month or 30, having a steady flow of incoming blog content is a great step in expanding your brand’s digital presence.

Elevated SEO and marketing

If you agree on making it a standard requirement, your content writer can incorporate search engine optimization (SEO) tactics and create content around trending topics.

Using highly searchable keywords, writing poignant headlines, and explaining buzzy topics that relate to your brand will all increase your search ranking. As you elevate your SEO and marketing practices, you amplify your ability to be found on the internet and boost your chances of gaining new clientele.

If you’re outsourcing blog content, SEO will be a crucial component to ensure your target audience finds it.

What type of content writer do you need?

Successfully outsourcing blog content to freelancers means you need to know what you are looking for. Here are a few preferences to identify before hiring a blog writer.

What is their subject expertise?

What topics will your blog revolve around? If your blog topics require minimal to moderate research, you can find freelancers who have basic knowledge about that subject to write your posts.

However, if your subject matter is highly technical and gets down to the nitty-gritty components of complex topics, it may benefit you to find someone who specializes in that particular field of expertise.

The better a writer understands the topic, the better they can explain difficult topics in a way that relates to your audience.

What voice will your blog have?

The freelance writer you hire when outsourcing blog content will be an extension of your brand. Their voice and writing style will saturate your digital footprint and communicate directly to your audience. To successfully outsource your blog content, you first have to determine what type of voice you want to emulate.

Do you want your blogs to have a high-brow, academic voice? Do you want readers to feel like they’re conversing with a friend? Do you want to incorporate snappy and witty undertones or do you want to keep things straight-laced?

Whatever style you’re looking for, make sure the writer you chose to create your blog posts can seamlessly adapt to your brand’s voice and has the ability to adequately communicate (or inspire, educate, defunct, etc.) the topics that are top priorities for your business.

Ghostwriter or byline?

In the same vein of aligning with your brand, something to consider when outsourcing your blog content is what type of credit will be given to the writer.

Do you want a ghostwriter? Hiring a ghostwriter is when the writer’s name is removed from the blog and you use the content as your own. Or will the writer have a byline? Will the writer have their name publicly attached to the blog? There isn’t a right answer, but these are important distinctions that need to be transparently discussed prior to hiring a freelance writer so expectations are established.

How will you compensate them?

Compensation can look different depending on the freelance writer. Some writers will want a monthly retainer where you, the business owner, will pay a pre-determined fee to receive a set amount of articles.

Other writers will base their rates on a per-word basis. The fee for each blog will vary depending on the total word count of the article. Another compensation method is to hire a freelance blog writer to work hourly.

As a business owner, you can come up with a budget and set amount of weekly or monthly hours. The writer will produce blog content within the duration of set work hours.

Rates and writer experience widely vary, so it can be helpful as a business owner to have a ballpark budget of what you can afford and what expertise level you’re looking for before interviewing writers.

However, it’s important to approach budget discussions with some flexibility and an open mind. An average writer may be able to produce several shorter blogs, while an expert writer may produce one long-form, highly researched blog. There are no right writers, so just determine what your preferences are as a business.

What is the best way to outsource blog content?

There are a few different ways to go about outsourcing your blog content and finding the best freelancer for your business.

Promote on social media

If your brand has a good presence, publishing a social media post or website banner asking for freelance writer submissions is an easy way to start looking for blog writers. If a writer already follows you, they’ll have a good sense of your brand and can adapt more quickly to your writing preferences.

Post in job boards or online groups

Platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn have dedicated sections for job postings. Because of their employment focus, you can easily post a call for blog writers in these online groups or job boards and get a flurry of potential applications.

Partner with an agency

Another way to find quality writers is by partnering with an agency like ClearVoice. These agencies will discuss your needs (like project scope, writer preferences, budget, etc.) and vet candidates for you. The candidates that make their way to you are the best of the best, making the selection process much easier.

Start outsourcing your blog content

Blog writing is a necessity that will help your business bloom. If you lack the time to produce content, outsourcing blog posts to freelance writers is a fantastic way to receive consistent and professional quality content.

Before hiring a writer, determine your voice, subject, and compensation and make your expectations known. And if you find yourself needing a helping hand, partner up with an agency like ClearVoice to help you vet candidates and find the best writer suited for your brand.

The post How to Outsource Blog Content to Freelance Writers appeared first on ClearVoice.

While it may seem like storytelling in content marketing is the furthest thing on the spectrum from childhood fairytales, when you boil everything down to the raw building blocks that make up a story, you’ll find that fairytales and business storytelling have much more in common than you’d think.

The Elements of Storytelling in Content Marketing

The foundations of storytelling are the same whether you’re writing fairytales or infusing storytelling in content marketing. Both narratives have characters, a problem, a plot, and a resolution.

The main characters

All great stories start with a set of main characters. Your basic story typically involves:

• Hero: The main character who has a problem and goes on a journey to solve this problem
• Support System: The confidant, hype person who is there to help the hero get back on their feet when times get tough
• Villain: The malevolent being who stands in the way of the hero’s happily ever after

In the world of content marketing, these same characters can be used in business storytelling:

• Hero: In content marketing, the hero is your ideal customer or persona. They have a problem they are trying to solve, but in order to get there, they need help.
• Support System: Is your business. Your company is the BFF/fairy godmother/support system on the sidelines that guides the hero/customer through their journey.
• Villain: In content marketing, the villain doesn’t necessarily have to be a malicious person. Sometimes in business storytelling, the villain is the hero’s current problem.

The problem

While we all wish we could have problem-free lives, the truth is that without problems, we wouldn’t be able to challenge ourselves and come out on the upside. The same goes for storytelling in content marketing. Every story needs a problem or conflict to move the plot along.

Whether your hero/customer is battling acne, trying to grow their business, or coaxing a six-pack to emerge before their vacation to Cancun, every customer has an obstacle they’re trying to surmount… and your company’s services or products are the golden ticket.

The plot

Nothing good comes easy. While developing washboard abs or a six-figure business overnight would be a dream, the goal doesn’t come without a strong foundational plot.

As your customer’s fairy godmother, your job is to guide them on their journey. Successful storytelling in content marketing explains the plot ahead and equips the hero with the proper tools (aka products or services) to help them fulfill their goals.

The resolution

The final storytelling and content marketing element? The resolution. After enduring big bad wolves and poisoned apples, your hero finally makes it to the end and achieves their goal.

When it comes to content marketing, use the resolution element to paint a picture of how your customer’s life will positively change once they achieve their goal. Whatever the transformation is — a changed behavior, increased sales, glowing self-confidence — describe the positive outcome to ignite hope and motivation.

Why Should You use Storytelling in Business?

Add emotion

The more we find out about consumer behavior, the more we find that consumers buy based on emotion and justify with logic. Storytelling in content marketing tells us the narrative of who the brand is and why we should care.

Gain your audience’s trust

Behind the glitz and glam of the logo and pretty social media graphics, consumers want to know there are real people like them that experience the same emotions, problems, and goals.

The audience wants a brand who understands the current challenges they’re up against and can show them how to get through the tough part and come out victorious. Purposeful storytelling in content marketing gains the consumer’s trust and nurtures that trust into brand loyalty.

How to Use Storytelling in Content marketing

Storytelling in marketing is an art. When used correctly in content marketing, your business narratives will emerge more powerful and influential. To successfully create and communicate your brand story, incorporate these storytelling techniques.

Define storytelling elements

Although every story weaves together similar elements, the specific hero, problem, journey, and happily ever after is unique to each individual company.

Identifying these core storytelling elements and tailoring them to fit your brand story is precisely how to use the art of storytelling in content writing.

1. Identify the Hero: Who is your ideal consumer? What do they like? What do they hate? What are their goals?
2. Pinpoint the Problem: What problem is your consumer trying to fix? How is this problem affecting their current life? What emotional, mental, and physical side effects stem from this problem?
3. Explain the Journey: What does the journey entail? How long with the journey take? What kind of obstacles do your consumers need to overcome? How will you guide them and prepare them for the road ahead?
4. Inspire the Happily Ever After: What do your consumers have to look forward to? What change can they expect once they’ve gone through the journey? How will their life be better after they buy your products or utilize your service?

Create your brand story

Once you’ve defined your storytelling elements, tell your brand story. A popular brand story technique is to take your consumers through the founder story.

Most founder stories start with the founders experiencing a problem, going through a grueling journey of how to fix this problem, and now using their solution to help others in the same situation.

Harness customer stories

While brands should proudly explain why their products or services are the best, sometimes, it’s better to hear it from other consumers.

Harness the power of customer stories by digging into the positive outcomes your consumers have experienced. Customer stories are refreshing, honest, and can add credibility to your business and its reputation.

Tell Your Story

Interweaving storytelling in content marketing builds an emotional connection between your business and your audience. This connection can lead to more sales and more customer loyalty.

By identifying your hero, the problem, the journey, and the happy ending, you can use these key elements of storytelling to boost your brand narrative.

The post Storytelling in Content Marketing: How to Tell Stories that Sell appeared first on ClearVoice.

A picture may be worth a thousand words, but when it comes to online products, a picture without words isn’t poetic… it’s useless.

Product descriptions are pieces of marketing copywriting that explain what a product is, what it does, and why you should care enough to buy it. When done well, product descriptions are the influencing catalyst that helps users to make a purchasing decision.

If you need some copywriting inspiration, learn how to write product descriptions that persuade, compel, and drive action. Plus, see some helpful examples of companies killing it in the product description strategy game.

How to write product descriptions that will persuade

Successful product descriptions aren’t blatantly in your face begging for attention. The most powerful product descriptions are subtle. They give enough information to pique your interest and leave you wanting to find out more for yourself.

Without even realizing it, a product description will draw you in and have you clicking “Add to Cart.”

Follow the tips below to write product descriptions that will help your brand stand out and get more sales.

Know your audience

Powerful product descriptions speak directly to your target audience. Trying to address a wide variety of customers can make your content too general. When you identify who your audience is, you can adapt your voice in a way that appeals to them.

On top of this, when you have a target audience, you can use their particular interests to compose product descriptions that include fun references and align with the benefits that will most entice them to buy a product.

Make technical specs scannable

Effective product descriptions should include the technical features of the product. The reader should be able to definitively see the necessary facts and figures of the product.

However, these features should be easily scannable. One easy way to do this is to list out your technical aspects with a bulleted list.

By doing this, the consumer doesn’t have to wade through long prose to search for pertinent technical aspects, but can conveniently skim and identify the specs they’re looking for.

Describe the transformational value

Although technical specs should be short and sweet, product descriptions can afford to elaborate more about the added transformational value a product will provide the consumer.

Most products set out to solve a problem for the consumer. Addressing the problem and indulging on how this particular product is a solution is crucial to compelling product descriptions.

For example, take skincare products. A list of the most important active ingredients in a product should be included, but the transformational value these ingredients provide should also be explained.

A consumer may know that vitamin C is a “good” ingredient, but they may not know how vitamin C will transform their skin. A well-written product description will explain that vitamin C helps lighten dark spots and acts as a superhero antioxidant against skin stressors.

While you don’t want to drown a consumer in every single transformational detail, in order to write product descriptions that convert, you should provide enough valuable information to help consumers make smart decisions.

Use applicable keywords

Effective product descriptions use keywords. Smart product description strategy integrates search engine optimization (SEO) tactics like keywords to help increase their rankings in search engines.

When consumers search for products online, search engines browse data on the internet to pull up the best results for the searcher. By using a keyword search tool, you can select popular keywords based on search volume and keyword difficulty to insert into your product descriptions.

Provide consumer proof

Consumers want to know how the product holds up in the hands of actual customers. A company can say their product is the best thing since sliced bread, but does the average person think that too?

To beef up your product descriptions, feature a section for consumer proof on your product description page. Add customer reviews or display a few pull quotes from real customers that boost the credibility of your products.

3 companies with killer product description strategies

Need some inspiration? Take a peek at some companies that write product descriptions to educate, entertain, and sell.

1. GHOST

GHOST is a lifestyle sports nutrition brand. They are known for their “feel-good energy” drinks, nutritional supplements including protein, pre-workout, and snacks, and apparel and lifestyle gear.

Product description kudos for the GHOST Energy Product Page

• Starts with the unique factor (“Fully Transparent Energy”) that sets them apart from other energy drinks
• Visually lists important features using bulleted lists and attractive visual icons
• Includes a section where you can learn more about the individual transformational value each main ingredient provides
• Highlights reviews from people using the product for different lifestyles (personal trainer, content creator, and health and business coach)

2. Sephora

Sephora is a retail and online beauty store that sells a host of beauty products and accessories. Consumers can explore a variety of beauty brands and products in one place.

Product description kudos for Tatcha Water Cream Oil-Free Moisturizer

• Shows a variety of product photos
• Highlights key features using colorful visual icons
• Includes dropdown sections where the consumer can learn: About the Product, Ingredients, How to Use, and Similar Products
• Individual dropdown sections (like About the Product) expands on info like what type of skin the cream is good for, what problems it tackles, benefits of the product, and brand background

3. Nordstrom

Nordstrom is a department store that sells apparel for all genders and ages, home accessories, beauty products, shoes, and more. Although products like their apparel may not necessarily solve a dire problem, Nordstrom does well to organize the flow of their content and enhance their clothing product descriptions pages with detailed videos.

Product description kudos for: Ted Baker London Karl Plaid Wool Sport Coat

• Shows collection of product images (clothing details, front/back/inside views)
• Most unique feature: Nordstrom adds a video to certain products where a team member goes into detail about the product and models the product to give consumers an idea of how the product will sit and move in real life
• Adds product specs (dimensions, fabric material, etc.) last on the page

Start writing effective product descriptions

The best product descriptions help consumers make a great purchasing decision. Include key features, but most importantly, explain what problems your product will solve and how this transformational value will make their life better when you write product descriptions.

Persuasive product descriptions can help you get more sales. If you need help writing better product descriptions for your business, talk to a content specialist today about our content creation services.

The post How to Write Powerful Product Descriptions That Sell appeared first on ClearVoice.