On 1st of November , we will meet at the Wecontent – Content Marketing conference! WeContent is the largest content marketing conference in Romania, where you will have the opportunity to meet top specialists and you will be able to find out how to have a successful content strategy.
Because we know affiliate marketing works hand-in-hand with content marketing, we have talked to one of the speakers who will be present at the event: Kevin Gibbons. Kevin Gibbons is theco-founder and CEO of Re: signal, an agency specializing in SEO strategy and content marketing. He has over 15 years of experience in digital marketing.
If you want to hear more about what he has to say and his experience, come to Plaza Romania on November 1st and join us at the Wecontent – content marketing conference!
Is content writing for everybody? What makes a great content writer?
No, while most people, given the time and the right resources, can produce something worth publishing, to take on content creation as a career is a different matter entirely. You need to be aware of the world around you in order to respond in the best way. You need to have a real desire to create and a confidence in what your produce or the publishing process becomes laden with fear. And finally, it’s a lot easier if you love what you’re doing!
What is, in your opinion, the first rule of content writing?
There are so many, but I think the real trap many content writers fall into is creating content for content’s sake. When that happens, you lose any passion for the project and that shines through in the what you put forward. Audiences are unforgiving and they can tell if your heart’s not in it. Find a story that you genuinely want to tell or answer a genuine question. It won’t happen every time, but if you shoot for it then you’ll hit more than you miss
Is it worth to have a style of your own or you need to be flexible as a content writer?
It’s important to have your own style, something that sets you aside from the crowd. However, it’s equally important to be able to translate a brief and adapt your style for a specific client or industry. It sounds obvious, but it’s no good writing a jokey article for a funeral services provider or a car insurance company. As your own style develops you come to realise what you’re good at and you tend to gravitate towards those commissions. It’s about striking a balance between individuality and knowing your audience.
What should be the main attribute of a content writer outside the writing?
Read, watch, listen, engage. There’s a romantic myth that writers need seclusion in order to succeed. That may be the case in terms of finishing a novel, but if you’ve no experience of the world around you, then you won’t have anything to write about. Try and go beyond your comfort zone, read some articles on subjects you wouldn’t normally care about, talk to people in industries you find boring, you’ll be surprised…
How would pitch content writing as a career to an 18 years old kid?
Most creatives want to do something groundbreaking or world changing. They want to write the Oscar-winning screenplay or design the next big app, but that comes to very few people straight away. Content creation gives you an opportunity to get out there and see where your talents lie. You get to work with a wide variety of creatives and clients, learn nuance and discipline among other things. Added to which, it’s a constantly changing landscape, so you need to be able to adapt. They’re all good life skills!
How can we write good content for commercial purposes?
I think most businesses have an interesting story somewhere along the line, if they didn’t they wouldn’t survive. The fact that a need or want has been recognized and fulfilled is a story in itself. It’s about recognizing that story or answering a valid question. Again, avoid content for content’s sake. Any successful business has an audience, in the same way it has customers. Also, if it’s not a successful business then there’s a reason, and that’s a story too.
