The Problem with Content’s Squiggly Line to the Yes

Making Content’s Business Case

A focus on generating high-quality content and engagement has caused a shift in content’s purpose. Metrics on clicks and shares are pushing aside financial aims such that the goal of content is more and more about generating interest rather than direct dollars. The thought is that if you draw people to your site often enough, they will eventually buy in to your product.
Joanna finds this roundabout way of closing deals through content cumbersome and unnecessary. It is also undercutting the educational and value aspect of content, leading to short fluff pieces with no truly measurable purpose or impact.
A fan of long-form content and pop-ups, Joanna has made the business case for meaty content that educates, engages, and, most importantly, converts your readers. By embracing the sales aspect of content and using it as a tool for conscious, immediate conversions, she has repurposed content and made it an active part of the funnel.

In This Episode

• How the push for high-quality content leads to a de-emphasis on conversions
• Why measuring the success of content doesn’t mean looking at shares or clicks
• How lengthy, in-depth content leads to holding customer attention better in a crowded marketplace
• Why paying for content means pop-ups, whether you like it or not
• How blank pages lead to writer’s block and what to do about it

Quotes From This Episode

“Copywriting is a direct line to the yes and content creation is a dotted, squiggly line to the yes.” —@copyhackers
“Copy takes place on emails and on websites, and content takes place on your blog where there’s a very problematic push against trying to get people to convert.” —@copyhackers
“What’s been lost in this whole thing is the business case for content.” —@copyhackers
“You’ve got to start selling in it, but people don’t want to.” —@copyhackers
“Sometimes that language that your customer uses, although it’s great, it doesn’t do as much as it could do.” —@copyhackers
“Formulas are at the core of really strong copy, just as much as the voice of customer data.” —@copyhackers
“We’ve been living in this really kind of crazy land where everybody gives away all the greatest information and nobody is ever expected to pay, in any way for it.” —@copyhackers
“I can’t help you then because I can’t keep producing this for free. I’m not a martyr. I’m here in business, and I’m here to help you.” —@copyhackers

Resources

• Joanna Wiebe on Twitter: @copyhackers
• Copy Hackers
• The Ultimate Guide to No-Pain Copywriting (or, Every Copywriting Formula Ever)
• Airstory

Content Pros Lightning Round

Pen or Pencil? Pen.
East Coast or West Coast? West Coast.
When reading other people’s content, do you prefer short post or long post? Long.
Ultimate length of content? 15-minute read.
Instagram or Snapchat? Instagram.
In-house writing team or outsourced writing team? Outsourced.