Recently I’ve been lucky enough to be asked to collaborate with other experts on content marketing strategy. Here are a few of my submissions.
From Terkel — What are some questions freelancers should ask clients?
My answer: Do you have a brand guide?
No freelancer worth their fee would do a job without asking for brand guidance. Every company has a brand voice and standards that internal and external messaging should reflect.
That’s a brand guide. A brand guide includes both verbal and written messaging guidelines (voice/tone, titles, names) and visual identity parameters (logo, colors, fonts). A brand guide may also include examples of approved advertising, social media posts, press releases, email templates, and printed materials. These items help me immerse myself in the brand so that I can accurately reflect it when I write content for the client.
From Brett Farmiloe — How do you hire a great marketing person?
My answer: Ask for strategy, not tactics
A great marketing person is not interested in using the flashiest newest channel or creating the most controversial marketing campaign. A great marketing person is interested in what your company’s goals are, both long and short-term.
No marketing campaign will be successful if they create it without a SMART goal in mind. We identify effective marketing tactics through sound strategies that are created from specific goals.
Also from Terkel — How is content writing different from copywriting?
My answer: Content writing tells a story, copywriting is a spoiler
Good content writing tells a complete story, placing the reader in the center of the story as the hero. As in most well-told stories, the hero experiences a problem or conflict and is searching for a solution.
The brand’s product or service is that solution. The story ends with the hero winning the battle over the problem thanks to assistance from the solution. The reader experiences the entire journey, including details about the hero’s problem, how the solution enhanced the hero’s life (benefits), and exactly how the solution addressed it (features).
In copywriting, there is not enough space or time to tell the entire story; just the ending is revealed. Copywriting is based on an outcome and a call-to-action, not an explanation of features and benefits.
