One term that tends to get tossed around a lot when discussing inbound marketing is content. And it's a term that a lot of folks tend to misunderstand, because it takes on slightly different meanings when you're talking about the Internet. When people hear about hiring a custom content creation agency, they generally just assume that's a wordy way of saying "copywriter."
In actuality, literally everything on your website is "content." From your front page banner, to your calls to action, to your in-page graphics, to even your invisible metadata in HTML tags: It's ALL content. Why? Because it all has a message. Every little piece of your site contributes to the "story" it tells your visitors.
Everything on your website should be aimed at creating a cohesive identity that sends a definitive message to your guests. That is where you see the true power of custom content creation: creating a website that's clear in its goals and purpose, that shows each visitor exactly what you want them to see.
Define Yourself Through Custom Content Creation
So, when we're talking about custom content creation here, we're taking about far more than just hiring someone to write your blogs or manage your social media - although those are both pieces of the puzzle.
Here are just a few of the services you can get with a full-service content creator. How much of this can you do yourself?
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Custom keyword targeting: Your keywords are one of your main outreach tools, as well as one of your first customer communication tools. Remember, keywords establish expectations on the part of visitors. If they're arriving at your site because they wanted "late-filing tax advice," you need to make sure they're arriving at a page that addresses that need. Or, putting it another way, poor keyword usage is your first opportunity to lose a lead you might have otherwise converted.
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Video productions: The Internet loves video! While just about anyone can create basic videos with a webcam and iMovie, you really want the power of a full video production studio to create videos that really pop. People believe a well-made video more readily than text, and you can squeeze a lot more messaging into two minutes of video than in a two-minute blog.
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Social media management: If you're serious about social media outreach, you know it's practically a full-time job by itself. Custom content creation agencies also specialize in managing your social media: Staying on top of comments, responding to fan questions and criticism, plus of course keeping a steady stream of new content coming.
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Calls-to-Action and Landing Pages: Once someone is on your site, you want to keep them there while increasing their interest in your offerings. Well-made CTAs inspire action on the part of visitors, and landing pages are what convince them to trade some personal information in exchange for more detailed information about your business. A content creator can easily boost the effectiveness of these strategies and keep your leads database fully stocked!
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Metadata: Spiders are people too, at least on the Internet. You can't forget about the invisible elements of your site like headers, HTML tags, and Rich Snippets. These all help index your website within the search engines, and make it more likely that visitors will find you. So, custom content creation even helps you reach out to "guests" you might not even realize you host!
The short version here is that custom content creation firms allow you to optimize your website, improve your search rankings, and reach out to more visitors - both human and otherwise. This is what grows your website into the profit-generating monster you want it to be!
When did you decide it was time to hire a content creation firm? Was there a specific turning point?