People Need to Stop Underestimating the Power of Content!

This blog of mine is not entirely a rant but is something that often gets my back up. Not only is this my opinion, but it shows the importance of what we do and stand for here at TJ Creative. Content is essential in everything you do, or at least it should be!

If you’re not aware of my background, I studied Creative Writing with English Language & Communications at Kingston University and I’ve now been writing professionally for just over 5 years. I self-published my first novel, Endurance, back in 2013, and since 2015, I have been a copywriter and content marketing executive within the digital marketing sector with two separate agencies; an SEO agency and UX design agency. On top of this, I started my own content marketing agency in 2017.

Within this time, I’ve worked with an array of businesses and individuals to produce marketing copy for digital and print. Of course, most clients have been a pleasure to work with, but there has been a common theme with a lot of clients (mostly potential clients who we decided not to work with) – they undervalue content.

Signs that someone underestimates the importance of content.

You may be wondering how I can determine when an individual undervalues content – it’s actually pretty obvious when speaking with someone about how we can help them if they truly value what you stand for or not. Mostly because they’ll say certain things, “just take some content from my rival’s site and do something with it,” or another cracker, “would you do the work for (half the price)?”

Trust me, I completely understand that businesses want to keep costs down, but for something as specialist, time consuming and demanding as producing original, high quality content, it’s not a simple process. It requires time, strategy, planning and most of all, experience. The price that a writer charges is because of the time it takes. Whether you require 100 words or 1000 words, there has to be a strategy and a plan before producing the content. It all takes time!

Copying content from another website is suicidal for your brand. I understand if you’ve seen some amazing content and you want to use it as inspiration for your work, but you must embrace your own brand and personality. Anyone can take content from elsewhere and change it slightly to fit. What we as writers want is the opportunity to create something truly spectacular and original that echoes your brand and resonates with your customers.

The clearest sign that someone undervalues content, more so than what someone says or how they act around content, their existing content and copy. Websites, brochures, social media profiles, articles, blogs, PR statements, leaflets, anything and everything with copy. If the content is uninspiring and poorly written, then that’s a tell-tale sign that content is not at the forefront of their business strategy.

To counter this, some entrepreneurs decide to produce content themselves to save money and because they know their business and industry the best. But the reality is that to create effective content you need a strategy in place, along with a succinct brand and an experienced writer by your side. Without an identity for your business and the support of an experienced marketing writer, you will struggle to gain new business through your content. And believe it or not, high quality content can and will gain you more business!

Enough moaning let’s put it right!

Maybe you’re thinking “I’m exactly what Tom has just pointed out,” don’t worry, I’m not going to hold it against you. If anything, I want to help you!

Whether your business is yet to exist or it’s well-established, it’s never too early or too late to focus on your content and align it to suit your brand. And by content, we mean all wording, messaging and copy associated to and with your business. This ranges from website copy, advertisement, social media, guest blogging, print to name just a few.

The leading brands and businesses around the world have a brand and they stick to it in everything they do. From their slogan to every individual social media post, their brand is prevalent.

If you’re looking for professional and experienced guidance with your business’s messaging, then we recommend our content marketing services!