Copywriting
Copywriting is one of the most essential elements of online marketing.
Yet, it's often overlooked.
Most web design agencies fancy themselves primarily as "pixel pushers." That is, they are hyper-focused on aesthetics. At Go Media, we know an attractive, functional website is universally better than one that is not. But we also recognize the inherent value of great Cleveland copywriting.
In fact, design and copywriting are closely interrelated. They're practically married. That's because the user doesn't analyze the design and then separately look at the text. Rather, the user sees the entire site as a whole. Your website is going to be viewed as a single, integrated entity.
Think about it this way: Your website design should serve to reinforce the message in the copy. At the same time, even good copy placed haphazardly in a sloppy design isn't going to be effective either. These two elements are symbiotic.
So whether you're looking for permanent copy on your site, a regular blogging service or simply trying to come up with a catchy tagline or slogan, our Cleveland copywriting team can help.
What is Copywriting?
Copy communicates directly with the users. Of course, we strive to ensure our visuals "speak" to the users, but it's the text on the page that will literally talk to them.
Part of what our Cleveland copywriting team does is help you determine what you want to say and how you should say it. Is it a casual greeting? Helpful instruction? Details on your latest product? An update on the latest industry news?
You can find sites out there that do alright without a host of flashy visuals (think Craigslist.com), but we have yet to see a site that succeeds 100 percent solely on visual elements. In terms of communicating and messaging: Content is king.
There is a misconception that almost anyone can write a halfway decent sentence, toss it up on a web page or ad and, "Voila!" Sure, that's one way to go about it, but that doesn't mean it's advisable. The truth of the matter is, in order for your content to serve its purpose, it has to be strategic, succinct and written with the end user in mind. It must strike the right tone. It needs to be an appropriate length, and it should contain the information visitors are seeking in an easy-to-navigate format.
The main goal is to deliver high-impact messaging to your readers. The exact style, language and length of copy will depend on client goals, reader preferences and search engine optimization (SEO) best practices.
At Go Media, our copywriting and design team work together to maximize project success.
We work to ensure the tone of the copy matches the elements of the design, and visa versa. For example, extensive use of slang or casual slang would seem out-of-place on a more conservative website. But you also want to avoid bright, flashy colors that would accompany serious content.
Another reason graphic designers and copywriters also work closely together early on in the process is to make sure that the length of text will work with the slot allocated. In some cases, that "lorem ipsum" placeholder text can be a bit deceiving in terms of how real copy is going to look on a page. Identifying the typography early on can help the writer ascertain how much space they actually have to work with.
Finally, your copy is going to create the tone and personality of your page. Sometimes, it's not so much what you say as how you say it. Your tone, phrasing and word choice - all of it needs to match both the visuals and the product or service.
Our professional copywriters and graphic designers are dedicated to ensuring all elements of the site blend seamlessly to offer the best user experience - and ultimately boost your conversion rates.
Your Cleveland blog writer should:
Go Media's Content Marketing Team is spearheaded by Rachel Revehl, an award-winning newspaper journalist and SEO/content marketing expert. She and other professional writers can provide the polished words that help your site shine. Whether you are in the market to start a new business blog or you'd like to get help with the one you've already started, our Go Media blog writing & content marketing team can help.
Having an exceptional web design that is responsive across digital platforms and easy to navigate is essential. But that's just the foundation.
In order for your site to really take off, you need two other elements:
- Content that will optimize your site for search engines;
- Content that will entice visitors and give them a reason to stay.
Having dynamic copy on the core pages of your site will help to boost visitor confidence in your authority. But you also need new content regularly to drive more traffic.
Blog writing is one of the most powerful tools in your SEO arsenal. Yet it is so commonly overlooked.
Too many businesses don't give blog writing the attention it deserves. In order to be effective, blog writing has to be consistent, and that requires commitment. It needs to be:
- Relevant
- Fresh
- Well-written
- Strategic
Failure on any of these fronts is going to mean your blog writing efforts are wasted. But of course, who has time for any of that? Small businesses especially struggle to keep up a regular blog. Even when they know its value, business owners simply don't have the resources to generate a regular blog in-house.
Why You Need Cleveland Blog Writing
Sure, it is possible that some people will simply type your company name right into the search engine or browser. However, that's the audience you already have. Those are the people who know you, get what you're about and will probably be coming back. That's not going to get you more traffic over and above what you have.
It's also possible that you could pay to place heaps of advertisements, but that tends to be an expensive venture. Plus, when you stop paying for it, the traffic typically grinds to a halt.
Blog writing is an organic way of improving your SEO (search engine optimization).
Think about it this way: You have maybe a dozen or so fixed pages on your site. You probably don't update those pages regularly. That makes sense, especially if you spent a fair amount of time or money to write them. Blog writing gives you the opportunity to create more indexed URL pages on your website. It also provides the search engines with a big flag to your site that says, "I'm active." Plus, every time you have a blog written, you can share it on social media platforms - Facebook, Twitter, LinkdIn, Pinterest - which helps to increase your exposure even more.
Blogging is a relevant marketing channel for businesses looking to drive traffic to their websites, establish authority and create authentic connections with their audience. Put the work in place upfront and your blog will be positioned to rank high in search engine ratings, ready for a flurry of web traffic. In every post, you can add a clear call-to-action that will help you convert that traffic into tangible leads. We are here with a host of best practices to set your blog up for success.
Additionally, what you spend for one hour of blog writing will reward you for days, weeks, months and sometimes more than a year to come. That's because blogs are often read and shared after the fact. Hubspot reported that 70 percent of the traffic on its blog comes from posts that weren't published in the current month. In fact, 90 percent of the leads the company generates are from prior-months' posts. This is called "compounding," and it's one of the many benefits of contracting with a blog writing service.
Can't I Just Write My Own Blog?
Sure. And if you have the time and the in-house resources to do it - and do it well and consistently - we encourage it.
But let's be honest: Many small business owners view blog writing as a burden. It requires generating topics, picking keywords, choosing the right anchor text and then balancing it all with well-crafted, original copy - regularly over the course of weeks, months and years. It's understandable that most don't have the time or the energy to invest.
Frankly, if you can find a good blog writing service, your efforts are better focused on the business.
Our ghostwriters can help you generate thoughtful content that is current, helpful to your users and beneficial to your bottom line and conversion rates.
Go Media specializes in all things WordPress and can take your new page or article from draft through publishing while considering keywords and phrases which make sense for the goals of your users and your organization.