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There Are No Mic Drops In Marketing

Like Han Solo said in Star Wars, “You know sometimes I amaze even myself,” I, too, like putting together clever content, sitting back and patting myself on the back. But the reality is that there is no ‘mic drop’ in marketing of any type. Every day, an effective marketer must create engaging content that strives to beat and outsmart their clients’ competition while at the same time educating and compelling their potential customers to act. More importantly, a consistently effective content marketer’s goal should be to not only outdo their clients’ competition but also to outdo themselves. From photography and graphic design to social media posts and blog/website content, keeping things fresh is a chore, but the rewards are worth it for the client, and it also tends to keep my job interesting.

Content Writing and Search Engine Optimization Services In Kansas City

Over ten years ago, my biggest fear wasn’t whether or not Web Force KC would succeed but rather if I would eventually run out of ideas for content. After all, most of my clients’ services don’t change for the most part, which means that I would be required to continually describe the same things differently and repeatedly for years potentially. Sure, the messages and call to action remain relatively the same, but as I developed more strategic and time-relevant content, it all changed for the better. While there have been many blog and social media posts I’ve done that weren’t exactly Pulitzer prize-winning material, the goal has always been to remain consistent and not dwell on a writer’s block type of day because, well, they can and do happen. Like in any creative process, there will be highs and lows, and I’ve found that the key to making the most of the highs is to bang out as much content as possible when I know I’m riding that wave. Oftentimes, what ends up happening is that I learn a new angle to an old concept that I can take and use moving forward until the next bright spot appears. The idea that I’ll one day write THE golden piece of content that is so good I’ll never have to type again is non-existent at this point, and I find that if I just put my fingers on the keyboard, the ideas will start flowing sooner or later. Sometimes a little good old-fashioned research can get the gears moving, or checking out what the competitors are up to can lead to an effective piece of content, but it’s never enough in the world of SEO. To put it plainly, the goal is not necessarily to write the best piece of content I’ll ever do on any given day, but it is to write something better than I have previously, even yesterday. So far, so good, as I have clearly not run out of ideas after publishing over 10,000 blogs and website pages since I started Web Force. If I do happen to get wrapped up in the moment thinking I’m super-cool for a solid piece of content today, I may drop the mic but knowing full well that I’ll have to pick it back up tomorrow and do it all over again. That’s why I love doing what I do.

Call Web Force KC at (816) 462-9128 for web design and online marketing in Kansas City.

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June 2, 2022
Same Concept, Different Blog

Content marketing can be tough especially when the business you’re writing for doesn’t really change that much. However, I’ve learned to find ways around getting into a writer’s slump primarily by realizing and accepting that no matter how much you’ve written about a given subject, product, or service, there is always more that you can do but it doesn’t always come easy.

SEO and Content Marketing in Kansas City, MO

I write a TON of content for my clients and it’s really easy to get burned out but thankfully I’m never really short on ideas (most good, some not so good.) As I’ve acquired more clients and my older clients have grown, I’ve had to find new ways to market them and, honestly, some weeks it goes as smooth as silk and others it’s like pulling teeth. Look at it this way: for one of my oldest clients, I have written and published over 1,800 blog posts and hundreds of website pages and while their business never really changes much with the exception of adding new products to their retail store, the content I write on their behalf has to be ever changing, unique, engaging and relevant in order for it to be effective. Sure some content is better than others but the key has been to be consistent with regularly publishing blog posts and making adjustments to the overall page structure of their website(s) when necessary for all of my clients to help them grow their businesses.

A few weeks back, I was in burn out mode and started thinking about examples in my life and the world I observe of how individuals are able to take the same concept(s) and re-imagine them over and over again without getting sick and tired of doing it. At the time, I was getting back into old school Metallica and I thought, “Boy, they must be so over playing the song ‘One’ at every single show for weeks and months at a time.” The thing is that ‘One’ (one of my least favorite Metallica songs) was a massive hit and there are likely fans in the audience every night they play that are only there to hear that one (no pun unintended) song. Having seen Metallica live (among other metal bands) many times over the years, I noticed they always find ways to change things up a little bit in their biggest songs but overall the singalongs and melody remains constant which is cool for the audience but probably also good for the band that has played these songs hundreds if not thousands of times. It made me realize that even though I may feel like I’m writing about the same products and services for my clients over and over again, I have to find new and innovative ways to change it up for my audience as well as for myself so I don’t go insane or get severely burned out. It’s not that there won’t be days when I’m just not feeling it and the words don’t flow like a river but realizing that this is the way that artists, marketers, and people that are just good at what they do have to make changes and adjustments to keep their audiences’ and their own interest focused. Content marketing probably isn’t as cool as a Metallica song but it felt good to connect the two and whatever makes me think, makes me better at what I do. That’s what Web Force KC does (for itself and) for our clients.

Call Web Force KC at (816) 462-9128 for effective web design and online marketing in the Kansas City area.

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July 17, 2020
Content Marketing Kicks Ass

Photo by Kaitlyn Baker on Unsplash

I’ve always loved writing. I can’t remember the actual moment when I realized that writing came naturally to me but I know it was when I was very young. As a teenager I wrote a ton of poetry and other odd literary project most of which was real hit and miss but nevertheless writing was and continues to be a creative outlet that has not only gotten me through some pretty rough times, it has quite honestly kept me sane (still does). I’m lucky enough to get paid to write for my clients and I don’t take that responsibility and privilege lightly. Through my content writing on their websites, blogs, social media, and other marketing projects, I get to literally become the online voice of that business which is enormously fun but can often times be very difficult.

Search Engine Optimization and Content Marketing in Kansas City, MO

Writing for a business is content marketing and the best part about it (at least for me) is that I’m rarely at a loss for words or ideas. The trick to effective content writing is finding new ways to describe the same products or services over and over again in new ways that are relevant to my clients, their customers, and ultimately the search engines which is why they pay me to write in the first place. Looking back at some of my early content marketing work, it was pretty evident that the rules of the search engines weren’t very strict like they are today. In fact, I remember writing blog posts that were so absurdly overly keyword heavy that any normal person reading it would think a lunatic wrote it. That may have worked then but it certainly doesn’t work now in 2020.

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Rich, unique content is what Google says they want to see and these days when you lay the keyword babble on too heavy, you’ll likely get penalized and loose rankings. This means that there must be a balance between relevant content that is unique, current, and most importantly makes sense to both potential customers reading it as well as the search engines in order to be effective. It sounds more complicated than it really is but it does take some practice to get content to consistently flow and at the same time be functional for online marketing goals. Integrating what’s currently going on is an easy way to create content that is engaging and relevant but there are some really deep pitfalls you’ll probably want to avoid if you go that route. For example, leaning one way politically with your business’ voice will inevitably cut off any potential customers that are on the opposite end of the political spectrum of you which isn’t good. A good rule of thumb I use when I’m debating whether to use an outside current event or mindset in content is to ask myself “is there a large group that are vehemently opposed to this?” If the answer is yes or even maybe, I don’t do it. Don’t get me wrong, I could care less if someone gets offended by my personal opinions but they have no place in my business communications or my clients’ content for that matter.

Photo by hannah grace on Unsplash

I guess the best advise I can give on content marketing is just keep typing no matter what (you can always go back and edit later), keep the content upbeat, and keep it current and relevant to where you are and what’s going on there. Don’t try to explain your whole business in one content piece but instead try breaking up parts of what you do or what you sell into separate content. Don’t expect all of your content to make you surge up in the search engine rankings because you’ll be very disappointed. Obviously some content will be more productive and effective than others and the key is to maximize those that really kick ass and learn why they performed so well so that you can take your future content to the next level.

When I first started in the SEO/online marketing industry the phrase “Content is King” could be heard in pretty much every sales pitch or presentation to new clients and it still holds true today. Sure you can go and pay Google a mountain of money to show up prominently and immediately with AdWords but the fact is that once you stop paying, you immediately become invisible again. With content marketing and search engine optimization, your online presence is built organically which, in my opinion, is much more powerful, effective and lasting. Especially when you consider that most Pay Per Click ads only see a roughly 2% click through rate which isn’t much for what you pay. Content marketing works exceptionally well but it is by no means the most simple and easy path to succeed online. However, when done correctly, content marketing can be the most powerful and effective tool in your online marketing arsenal and that is why I enjoy it so much.

If you have questions about content marketing, SEO, or web design in Kansas City, feel free to get in contact with us.

Call Web Force KC at (816) 462-9128 for web design and online marketing in Kansas City.

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May 14, 2020