Content marketing significantly trumps all other forms of marketing out there. Whether your specialty is B2B or B2C, building a reputable blog should be your top priority when it comes to getting your brand out there.

While many content marketing trends are bound to change, the following aren't going to change any time soon: Blogging is steadily becoming more effective, you'll reap many SEO benefits, and the ROI on a blog is much more long-term than other types of marketing.

With that said, if you thought that paying customers don't read blogs, you have been making a mistake that's been costing your business tons of money. Learn more about blogging and what makes it so great in the rest of this article.

Proof That Your Customers Really do Read Blogs

The best way to know if something works is to see the success of people who tried it out before you. This is why we've put together these impossible to deny blogging stats to help you transition into content marketing.

1. Search Engine Ranking

If your blog is a key part of your website, your chances of receiving a high ranking on search engines increases by 434%.

To keep your ranking high, make sure you are regularly churning out fresh and relevant content on your blog. This won't only put you in Google's good graces, which is definitely something you want. But it will also make searchers (potential customers) view your site as an authoritative source that solves their problems and answers their questions.

2. Blogs Impact Purchasing Decisions

In the past, when consumers wanted something, they'd simply visit a store near their homes and buy products based on things like the price and whether they recognized a brand. Although they still got recommendations from friends and family, they weren't exposed to much information about the products they were buying or the companies they were giving money to.

The internet has provided consumers with more control over their purchases. They're reading reviews about whether a product is of good quality and even watching how-to videos.

Also, part of this research process is reading blogs. In fact, 47% consume 3-5 pieces of content before they move forward with purchasing.

3. Content Alone Isn't Enough

Yes, you definitely need a blog if you want to attract more people to your website. But content on its own isn't enough to keep visitors coming.

Blog posts that have high-quality photos in them receive 94% more views.

4. Useful Content Gets Shared

The purpose of your blog is to drive traffic to your business website and products. But in order to do that, you need to take advantage of social media shares, which is basically free advertising.

To make your content more shareable, make it useful. We're talking about things like how-to guides and case studies to increase your numbers. You can't afford to miss out on the fact that 94% of people share articles they think are helpful.

5. More Content Equals More Leads

Remember when we said that Google likes websites whose blogs frequently publish fresh and useful content? Well, customers like it too.

In fact, companies that publish 16 or more posts each month end up with more than 4 times more leads than those that published 4 or less. When you're running a business, you are probably already wearing multiple hats and doing the work of several people. Especially if yours is still in the beginning stages.

If you don't have the time to do this much blogging, you should definitely consider outsourcing your content.

6. The ROI is Almost Guaranteed

Whether you are paying a writer to craft content for you or you're taking the time to write posts yourself, blogs have an unbeatable return on investment for business owners. In fact, 82% of marketers who blog say they see a positive return on investment for their blogging efforts.

7. Increased Unique Site Traffic

In a world where everyone is obsessed with how many followers they have on social media, we're here to tell you that those numbers don't contribute to your business or marketing efforts as much as you thought.

Here's what does, your blog! Growth in unique traffic to websites is 7.8 times higher for content in comparison to followers.

8. Branded Content Vs. Print Ads

If your content is interesting, tells a story, and solves problems for readers, it is much more relatable (read: persuasive) than print ads where a company brags about how great it is.

The reason behind it is that the conversational nature of blogs promotes comments and responses from your audience. In turn, this makes a brand seem more human.

This is why 72% of marketers think that branded content is more effective than magazine ads. And we happen to agree with them.

9. Your Content Doesn't Always Have to be Brand New

Repurposing content is a way of recycling content you previously published. It helps you reach new audiences and works as a refresher to people who previously read it.

Repurposing also gives you a way of testing out whether particular topics, angles, and ideas work. Almost 60% of marketers do this 2-5 times.

10. It's Free

Blogging doesn't cost you anything but your time. You can find free SEO tools and plug-ins to help make your content easier to find in search engines. This tools also help you do some trial and error to understand what works and what doesn't.

On the other hand, most forms of marketing aren't nearly as impactful and they will cost you money. Whether you are a start-up or you've been in business for a little while, every business owner has room to tighten up their budgets a bit.

Time for a Content Strategy

People who read blogs often turn into paying customers. So, there isn't a business in this digital age that can afford to ignore this marketing strategy.

If you need help with churning out professional blog posts that build customer trust and brand recognition, contact us. We have some solutions that'll help you!

Blogging has quickly become a popular way to create brand authority, build exposure, and even make money! It's something that benefits large, worldwide corporations as well as smart young college students and everyone in between.

But, you have to know how to make the most of blogging if you really want this digital tool to work in your favor. A blog post isn't something you spend so much time and money on to create, publish, then never touch again. It's an invaluable marketing item that can be re-used over and over.

The trick is to know how to make use of all the content sharing opportunities out there!

Here are 8 ways to leverage the content you write after you publish it as a blog.

1. As Standard Social Media Posts

Sharing a newly-published blog on social media is one of the best ways to start generating traffic for it. It gets people interested in the content you've just written, which can then lead to more interactions with your brand.

Plus, if a reader really likes what you have to say, they're likely to share it on their own social pages or at least comment on your boost. This creates a "buzz" around your blog. It draws even more attention and it can place you in front of new audience members that you wouldn't have reached otherwise.

2. In Social Media Groups

The catch to "posting on social media" is that this can mean so many things!

You can share your blog on your company's Facebook page or link to it in your Instagram bio. You can talk about it in your Instagram story or add it to a conversation you're in on Twitter.

Or, you can get a little more personal with your sharing strategy and bring it up in one of the groups you're in. Maybe you're in a group with other small business leaders in the area and you just wrote a post about local SEO. Maybe you're in a group with thousands of other creatives and freelancers who could benefit from reading a blog post on taxes or generating leads.

Don't be afraid to share your insights with them. It will mean more when you do so in a direct manner like this, and it can lead to better interactions within these groups in the future.

3. On Your Personal Social Pages

Keep in mind that your personal brand goes hand in hand with your business.

It doesn't matter if you're the CEO of a large company or a one-man show who just started his own business. You should have a personal social media presence as well as a business-oriented one.

This gives you another opportunity to make use of your blogs. You can share your new posts with your personal network in a similar way that you would with your professional one.

You never know if your aunt knows someone who could benefit from your services or if your childhood neighbor is now some sort of marketing mogul. Such connections could lead to huge business opportunities if only you make the effort to share more with your personal network.

4. On LinkedIn

Some people hesitate to re-publish their blogs on LinkedIn because they're afraid of duplicate content. While this isn't something to mess around with, the good news is you don't have to worry about it on LinkedIn.

Google isn't crawling LinkedIn for duplicate content. It basically understands the value of sharing your blogs on this platform, and it doesn't take this as you trying to one-up how their algorithms work.

This is just one of the non-indexed opportunities available to you.

5. In Email Campaigns

The next place where you can re-use your blog posts is on email campaigns. This applies to both current blogs and old articles, too.

Sending out an email alert for your new blog post or dropping a link to it within a newsletter is a great way to draw more traffic to it. Recycling an old blog and putting it in a new email campaign also helps make the email look more valuable and informative to users.

It's a win-win no matter which way you spin it.

6. For Vlogs

Here's a thought: if you've just written a lengthy, in-depth article on a major topic within your industry, why not make a video about it? Turning your blog into the script of a video doesn't count as duplicate content. It's actually pretty smart.

This means you have another opportunity to share everything you've just said in your blog, but in an even more interactive way. Making videos gives you a chance to put a face to your brand and create stronger connections with users.

7. For Podcasts

If you're not the biggest fan of being in front of the camera, at least consider turning your blogs into podcasts. This offers basically the same benefit of making a video, but it doesn't require as much work and it's a little less personal (which you may prefer).

The only thing is you'd have to be consistent with your podcast for it to really take off. This would mean you either turn every single blog into a podcast episode, or you supplement your podcast with blogs and with original content.

8. On Message Boards

The final place you can share your written content is on message boards. You'd be surprised how many professionals still interact on sites like Quora and Reddit. Not to mention, there are plenty of more industry-oriented sites you can share blogs on.

The trick is to find them and start interacting in these online communities. You never know who they could lead you to!

Content Sharing and Creating Made Easier

It's one thing to figure out all the different places you can share your content, but this doesn't do much to benefit you if you have a hard time coming up with new blogs in the first place. Luckily, you don't have to write all of your blogs on your own!

That's where we come in. Our team of writers is ready to help you with everything from writing blogs and e-books to press releases and even cover letters.

For more on how we can boost your content creating process and make content sharing easier, click here.

With well over 150 million blogs swarming the internet, yours needs to stand out. And filling your pages with large blocks of text isn't going to cut it.

It's time to start thinking outside the text box and take advantage of different and engaging types of blogs. If you're new to the world of blogging or unfamiliar with the expansive possibilities, look no further.

Read on to learn more about 5 types of blogs that will take your website from mediocre to magnificent.

1. Infographics

If you learned anything from math class it's that using graphs and charts is the most effective way to represent data. And when it comes to blogging, you have mere minutes to convey your message to readers.

If they're met with a wall of text they can't make sense of, chances are, they'll leave your site and never look back. So, how can you avoid this?

Try presenting important facts and data using infographics, which use a combination of writing, analysis, and design. Not only are infographics impactful for conveying data and figures, but they make this information digestible for a wide range of audiences.

We live in a world of naturally skeptical people. If you want to persuade your audience, you need to support your argument or point using real-world examples, data, and statistics. And infographics help you do just that.

Infographics are attractive and compelling. Not to mention, readers can scan them easily, gaining the useful information they need. Infographics also have the potential of going viral -- every blogger's dream!

2. Memes

Who doesn't love a good meme?

They're fun, funny, and can still be informative. Memes are the perfect way to get your message across in a more informal way.

Another benefit of using memes is that people love to share them. And the more they share, the more traffic your blog gets. It's a win-win.

But there's a certain time, place, and method for using memes. Don't rely solely on memes to fill your blog pages. Although they're fun and engaging, they're not always informative or appropriate, depending on your intent and target audience.

Memes are also best reserved for certain blogging platforms like Pinterest, Tumblr, Twitter, and Reddit. Just be wary of overusing them. A little goes a long way in terms of humor.

If your audience has seen the same meme on hundreds of different sites, it won't seem unique or special to you. They won't remember seeing it on your specific site because it's been used and shared to death.

Use memes sparingly and with a purpose in mind. This will guarantee quality user engagement and return visitors.

3. Videos

Youtube has over 1 billion active users monthly. What does that tell you? That videos rule the internet and no matter the type of blog you have, you need to find a way to incorporate videos into your content.

Not only are videos interactive and engaging for users, but they're fairly easy to create. You don't need high-tech video equipment or expert knowledge on graphics to make a high-quality, effective video for your blog.

You can start small when it comes to video production, but if videos become one of your blog's main post types, hiring a specialist or camera crew might be in your best interest.

Videos are one of the most persuasive examples of blog posts out there. If you thought memes were versatile, they've got nothing on videos. Whether you opt for a tutorial, music video, or product review, keep it short. Most videos should be between 2 and 3 minutes.

It's also not all about the graphics. The words you use in your video are the most important element. That's why adopting a video script is crucial for creating effective video content.

4. Lists

Blogs are intended to be engaging, informative, useful, and user-friendly. Incorporating lists into your blog posts is the perfect way to efficiently deliver information in an easy-to-digest format.

Blog content should be scannable. Readers often skim through text and take from it what they want. Creating a list makes this process that much easier for your visitors.

There's also something universally appealing about lists. Top 5's, top 10's, 15 best or 20 worst -- people are instantly drawn to these headlines and expect fast and accurate information. The best part is that creating a list is simple.

First, come up with a topic. Now pick how many points you want to make and you're halfway to creating your post. A few things to keep in mind when creating these blog types:

1. The more details you include, the better.
2. Make sure each point is unique and different. Try not to repeat yourself.
3. Alternate by creating short and long lists.
4. Make the headings of your points short and direct. Like the hook at the beginning of a good story, the section heading should entice the reader to keep reading.

If you need more convincing that lists are a beneficial way to blog, just reference the list above.

5. Podcast

Did anyone ever tell you that you have a voice for radio? If so, incorporating podcasts into your blog is the way to go.

Podcasts are growing in popularity. In fact, at least 112 million Americans have listened to a podcast at one time or another. But what makes them so popular? And how can you create these types of blog posts?

Podcasts offer people a much-needed break from staring at a screen. They're also mobile. People listen to podcasts while working out, commuting, and traveling.

Podcasts have the ability to motivate and persuade and are generally low budget in terms of cost.

Different Types of Blogs Make the Web Go Round

If variety is the spice of life then switching up the types of blogs you create is internet gold. Without variety, readers will get bored, and your message will be lost.

Get creative with your content and make a list or share a humorous meme that drives your point home. If you want to dabble in the world of media, try crafting an informative video or create a cost-effective podcast.

If you're still stumped on creating topics for your blog posts, check out this article.

The most important element of any content you create is the headline. Why are headlines so important?

Because if your headline is bland and boring, no one will read your content, even if it's an epic 5,000-word piece. Bad headlines won't get your blog noticed.

The headline is where the reader makes their decision to read the article or not. But what goes into a good headline? What goes into compelling and creative titles?

That's the subject of today's post as we've compiled seven components of the most clickable headlines so you can create your own amazing titles.

1. Concentrate on Who and You

The best headlines are personal. They immediately transport the viewer into the story.

That's why it's so important to inject "Who" and "You" into your headlines when they can fit naturally. These terms help establish a connection with your reader.

Likewise, when your title focuses on a "Why and "What" you often miss the opportunity to connect.

The goal is to transport yourself into the mind of the reader. What are they looking for? What can make their life better or easier? What provides a solution to their problems?

Titles with "Who" in the headline have a 22% increase in click-through rate (CTR).

Start with a title like "The 10 Best Entrepreneurs Online" You can easily inject "Who" or "You" into this headline. For example:

• 10 Inspiring Entrepreneurs Who Are Leading The Way Online
• 10 Brilliant Entrepreneurs You Absolutely Must Follow

2. Use Popular Creative Title Formulas

Luckily for us, copywriters have created many proven formulas to create headlines that work. These formulas work whether your intended reader is looking at a promotion mail or email, a magazine ad or a blog post.

Look for opportunities to naturally implement these proven title formulas.

Make Big Promises

When a reader is sitting on your headline they're thinking, "Is this going to be worth it?" A big promise convinces them it will be.

A promise of a list article with a large number at the beginning will get clicked. So will "The Complete Guide" or "Ultimate Resource" as it promises clear value and a lot of information.

Use Numbers

Numbers are proven to improve CTR significantly, especially if they are close to the beginning of the headline. Odd numbers are widely considered to be more effective than even numbers. They must work because the headline to this post has an odd number in it, and here you are!

Include "How To" When It's Appropriate

The "How To" headline is an oldie but a goodie because it simply works.

People are always looking for instruction or tutorials to teach them how to do something. When your headline matches that need and promises to deliver the results they are seeking, it can't be beaten.

Of course, you should only use the "How To" headline when your article delivers the information people want.

Use Mystery and Intrigue

People can't help but read stories offering information few people know. We are naturally wired to want to be in the know. Conversely, we deeply don't want to be left out of the group who has something or knows something we don't.

That's why the following phrases work so well in headlines:

• "The Secret to"
• "Revealed"
• "Little Known Ways to"

These types of phrases are highly clickable because they add mystery to your headline readers can only solve by clicking on the title.

3. Set Expectations With Specifics

While it's important to create intrigue, don't go overboard to the point your reader has no idea what your post is about. Readers want to know if your content is going to be valuable to them. If your title is too vague, they will likely assume the content is vague as well and scroll past your headline.

Let your reader know what kind of information they can expect. For example, readers appreciate it when you include specifics in your headlines such as [Infographic], [Podcast] and [Template]. In fact, these types of specifics in your headline lead to a clickthrough rate 38% higher than those that don't.

4. Keep Your Headlines Short

Readers prefer shorter headlines over longer ones. In fact, the ideal length is generally thought to be 8 words, which generates 21% higher CTR than the average headline.

This doesn't mean all your titles should be eight words. Hard rules like this don't apply to creative titles. It's better to get your idea across and deliver a promise to the reader in a natural way than to cram it all into an awkward eight-word title.

Ideally, your title should be below Google's 70 character display limit so it can show in its entirety on the search engine results pages. This size is also ideal for sharing since it appears perfectly on Twitter and most other social platforms.

5. Include a Primary Keyword

We write articles for people but sometime's we need to help the search engines out too so people will find our content.

That's why it's important to put the primary keyword or phrase for your blog post in your title. SEO experts widely agree it is a good idea to insert the keyword near the beginning of the title. It lets the search engine know it's important to that post.

6. Write Multiple Blog Post Titles

When you take the time to research and write an epic post, you just want to publish it to the world. The last thing you want to do is spend any serious time creating headlines for it.

The reality is that is exactly what you should do. If no one clicks through your headline, no one will read your post. That's why the headline is so important and why you should take the time to compose several different blog titles.

When you create many different headlines, you'll find yourself combining pieces from different titles and constructing a killer headline. This is how clickable titles are born.

To really improve the quality of your titles, run them through the Headline Analyzer and keep trying to beat your score.

7. Practice Makes Perfect

We're saving the most important tip for last. Nothing on this list will improve your headlines more than consistent practice.

You may write an incredible headline that goes viral right off the bat. But chances are you may only experience incremental improvements in your headlines.

If you don't hit it out of the park on your first try, don't get discouraged. Each time you sit down and write headlines, you get better. Your speed improves and you begin to instinctively know what's going to work and what won't.

The Bottom Line

Writing creative titles that get clicked is a learnable skill. Use the seven tips provided here and you will be creating killer headlines that bring lots of readers to your content.

Connect with your reader in the headline, and show them specifics which let them know why your post is valuable. Keep the headline short, wrap it in a little intrigue and you're on your way. Practice by writing multiple headlines for every post and over time and you'll be writing clickable headlines almost effortlessly.

If you found this article helpful, please check out our blog.

Your blog is a fantastic tool to help you reach your audience. It's where you can share your ideas, promote new products, or just document your day-to-day experience.

But if you're focusing on your words and your words alone, you're missing a huge component of blogging: images.

The right photo is every bit as important as what you write, and even plays a role in how many people your blog reaches.

With that said, finding the right blog images can be a complicated and time-consuming process -- even if you're using stock photos.

Read on to learn how you can find the perfect blog images to make your content stand out.

Keep Images Relevant

It would be pretty strange if you visited a sports website and each article's featured image was a mountain landscape. Relevance matters in your image choice.

Always choose an image or images that fit your post's topic and keywords.

Let's say you're writing about the best hiking spots in your town. That mountain landscape from before may make sense in this context.

Aside from complementing your post's topic, relevance can impact your SEO. As a web crawler scans your site, it's going to do its best to ensure that you're not scraping or spamming content.

In case a crawler finds irrelevant images, it's going to set off red flags that mean serious business for your blog. If your content ignores SEO standards, your site could be de-indexed.

Grab the Audience's Attention

Stock images are great for covering a wide variety of topics on a multitude of sites. While this can be a big advantage, especially if you plan on using a stock photo again, it can also be a huge disadvantage.

If you choose the wrong photo, your blog images can come across as bland or boring.

Think about how many times you've seen generic images of people sitting around a table in an office. Or a bland photo of a computer and keyboard.

Sure, they're great for covering broad any number of topics. But that doesn't mean they're going to get your audience's attention.

As you start parsing through images, ask yourself, 'Would this picture make me stop scrolling?' If the answer is no, you'll want to choose a different picture.

Know the Pros and Cons of Free Blog Images

When it comes to stock images, you have an important decision to make. Is it worth paying for a blog image or should you choose a free image?

Truth be told, there isn't a right or wrong answer here. It's largely going to depend on a variety of factors, including the scope of your blog and your budget.

Free blog images are fantastic for everyday use, but they come with some caveats. They often look less professional, require more in-depth crediting, and tend to be rather boring.

Paid images, on the other hand, can run you more than you think. Some stock images can cost well over $100, but they appear more deliberate and professional.

Use Photos of People

According to the findings of Nielsen Norman Group, people spend an average of 10-20 seconds on a web page. Now, that in and of itself isn't that surprising. However, they discovered something rather strange.

According to their findings, visitors spent up to 10 percent more time on a web page featuring photos of people. You only have a few seconds to capture your audience's attention, so you'll need to do everything in your power to make it count.

Check the Dimensions

While it's true that you can toy with image size to fit your needs, you don't have as much breathing room as you may think. If you choose an image with the wrong dimensions, your photo will either be too large or too small.

That may not seem like a big deal, but it causes a huge distraction and can hurt your credibility.

The right image dimensions depend on the type of web platform you're using. If your blog is powered by WordPress, for instance, you'll want to check WordPress' recommendations.

File Formats Effect Load Time

Dimensions and resolution aren't the only technical considerations you'll need to take, though. Even something as seemingly minor as your image file type can have major repercussions.

You'll typically have three file formats to choose from: JPEG, PNG, and GIF.

For the most part, you'll want to stick with JPEG images for your blog. They're often small in size and load within seconds.

PNGs and GIFs are also good to include but have their own drawbacks. PNGs tend to feature more detail, but that results in a larger file size. GIFs are often short animations that can take seconds to load.

Remember, every second counts.

A JPEG image may not have the highest quality, but it loads the fastest while maintaining the integrity of the photo.

Double Check Mobile Optimization

Over half of all web traffic now comes from a mobile device, whether it's a smartphone or tablet.

As a result, you'll want to make sure that your blog is prepared for the influx of mobile visitors. Your images should look just as good on your mobile site or app as they do on your desktop site.

Most blogging platforms allow you to test a post before you publish it, so always check that your post looks professional on a mobile device.

Find the Perfect Blog Images Every Time with These Tips

Stock images are fantastic, flexible options for those looking to include high-quality images on their blog. But incorporating these tips can help you find the perfect blog images every time.

Looking for more tips to help you create the best content for your audience? It all starts with a simple idea. Check out our guide on how to come up with new blog post ideas to keep your content fresh!

Over 100 million customer reviews can be found on Yelp.

Yelp quickly became successful because of the value their online reviews provide to customers. Online reviews and customer testimonials are a powerful tool to market your product or service.

Purchasing decisions are directly affected by the reviews a customer reads online. In fact, 85% of customers claim to read up to 10 reviews before making a purchase.

While quality reviews can help your company an ineffective review will cost you money. A bad customer testimonial can come across as bragging to your target audience.

We've all met someone in our lives who was prone to boasting. Did you know that bragging is considered a major turn off by both men and women? Boastful testimonies are a waste of space and can negatively impact your conversion rates.

However, when done correctly, website testimonials can be a goldmine for your company. Customer reviews are particularly effective because of the story they tell.

Since childhood, people enjoy hearing stories that evoke a feeling. A good testimony tells an emotional story about a customer's experience. The best testimonial examples will touch, move or inspire your readers.

Continue reading to learn how to display your customer testimonials in a powerful and classy way.

Testimonial Examples

There thousands of different types of testimonial examples. The examples used for this article will all have a similar purpose. Any review you post has to strike an emotional chord in the reader.

Humans make decisions based off of feelings not facts. Facts and figures play a part in decision making but feelings are a bigger influencer.

Keep this in mind when choosing the customer stories you want to share. Stories that have emotional components are more likely to resonate with the readers. A story about a happy customer is nice but also ineffective.

A better approach is to use stories people can relate to. Relatable stories will have characters your readers can identify with in some way.

Effective Testimonial Quotes

First, let's review the 3 types of quote testimonials.

• Quote with rating
• Quote with picture
• Quote with picture and CTA

The first is simply a quote without any photos or calls to action. Using a quote is a great option when you don't have a lot of complete customer reviews. You'll be able to craft an article that fits around the quote itself.

You should also create a way for customers to rate your product. Displaying your company's rating along with a quote will improve your credibility. Using a 1-5 star rating system is the most popular option for companies today.

We recommend using a star rating system so that readers can quickly assess your value. Another way of posting quotes is to use an image of the customer.

Remember, your readers will respond best to a short story. Just like with children's books, pictures bring a story to life.

Pictures also help improve the credibility of the testimony you post. Your conversions will be much higher when consumers feel they can trust you.

Finally, you can post a testimonial quote with an image and call to action (CTA). A CTA tells the customers what they should do next. You've already grabbed the readers attention now you have to direct them to your product or service.

Be careful to avoid sounding overly salesy of pushy with your CTA. Instead, you should position yourself as helpful, not insistent. A helpful CTA would read something like, "Click here to learn more about this product".

Then you can include a convenient link for customers to click on. The link should always take your customers to the product or service mentioned in the quote. Never mislead a customer with a link that directs them to an unrelated site.

Influencers Matter

Do you remember who the popular kids were in high school?

Influencers are a lot like popular high school students. The choices they make can create trends and instantly generate interest. The tricky part for you will be identifying who influences your target audience.

Once you know who your consumers identify with you can reach out for a review. Oftentimes influencers are hard to track down or hire for a review. One method of recruiting an influencer to do a review is by giving them free products.

Contact the authorities in your industry and ask if they'd be willing to try your product. Chances are they will be happy for the opportunity to try something for free.

Ask the people you give your product to be completely honest when writing their reviews. It's important you really know how they feel about your product or service.

False or misleading reviews will only end up driving customers away. You can prevent this by simply being the best at what you do. As you produce quality products and services the quality reviews will come.

Video Testimonials

Video testimonies are one of the best ways to create feelings and emotions!

Video marketing is the strongest tool available to promote your brand awareness online. By the time we are in 2019 80% of online traffic will come from videos.

All you need is a smartphone and a simple video editing application to get started. A great way to begin is by asking customers to record testimonies on their smartphones.

Customers will be less nervous when they can record themselves rather than being recorded. It's important for the customers to be relaxed so that their testimonies are believable.

You can help inspire the consumer's review by providing them with a list of questions. We recommend you ask customers what they enjoy most about your brand.

You can also ask customers to record themselves using your product or service. Video reviews are also great for creating reverse reviews.

A reverse review starts off with the customer saying how skeptical they were about your company but ends with the customer loving your product.

Quality Content Is Key

Now you can start creating quality testimonial examples.

iWriter is here to help you grow your business with quality content. We offer a wide variety of content ranging from 150 words all the way up to 35,000 words in length.

Whatever topic you need an article on, we're here to help! You can visit our blog for more helpful articles or contact us directly. We are happy to answer any of the questions you might have. Start your free account with iWriter today!

By 2019, 80% of all internet traffic will be for videos. And while content will always remain the king, there are different types of content.

Yes, people still want to be able to read content. But there are definitely ways to enhance your blog by including videos. Even videos you already have.

The problem is that many people don't know how to make a video blog. And many others don't realize how effective a video blog is for increasing SEO.

Keep reading, we're sharing eight ways to use videos in your blog.

1. How to Make a Video Blog to Promote Your Products and/or Services

Making a video that highlights your products and services is a great way for people to truly see what you have to offer. You can showcase your services or products in action and highlight the value they provide.

You can also use video to show how your product or service differs from your competition. Best of all, your potential customers get to see your product or service being used.

Letting them see how you operate helps people decide if your product or service is right for them in a way no written word can compete with.

2. Create a How-To Video Blog

It's incredibly frustrating when you start using a new product or service only to be confused as to how to use it properly. Perhaps you are selling a product where some assembly is required.

Maybe your business gets lots of questions about a specific topic on how to get the most use out of your product or service. This is a great opportunity to create a how-to video blog.

Letting people see how to properly use your product can be the difference between happy, satisfied customers and tons of negative reviews from frustrated people.

Also, there are tons of different types of how-to videos you can put together for your company. Just use your imagination and start recording.

3. Use Videos as Links to Enhance Your Information

Your video doesn't have to be the main focus of your blog. Instead, you can use existing videos and add them in as links.

If you own a business where you photograph weddings, you could write an article about finding the best wedding dress for your figure. To help enhance your article, you could add a link to a video you've created showing the top 10 wedding dress styles for the current year.

4. Set Yourself Up as an Expert in Your Field

Part of branding your business is setting yourself apart from your competition. Those businesses who post videos interviewing other experts are establishing themselves as an authority in their field.

But you don't need to go far to look for people to interview. You can make a video hosting a discussion between yourself and your employees. You can also interview a client to discuss their experience working with you and your team.

5. Video Reviews to Boost Sales

We all know that reviews help with sales. In fact, a positive review can help boost your sales by 18%. And your customers are more likely to spend upwards of 31% more on your products after reading your reviews.

For these reasons, it's a great idea to encourage customers to post videos of their review of your product or service. A customer may be able to explain better than you can why someone else should buy your product.

Also, a video review shows that it's not a fake review. A good review video on your blog can help back up the point you're trying to make as well.

6. Do What Top Video Blogs are Already Doing

There are a few things the top video blogs are doing that you can easily do yourself. No matter who posts videos, they should be consistent.

In other words, don't create a video and then three months later, do another one. Most popular video blogs post at least weekly, if not daily.

They also bring out their personality. No one wants to see a long commercial for your product or service. They want to know who they're thinking of doing business with. A video helps showcase your personality and humanity to potential customers.

The top video blogs also realize that while people are okay with letting poor visual quality pass, poor audio quality is a huge turn-off. Fortunately, professional microphones are relatively inexpensive. Invest in one and you'll find more people can easily enjoy your videos.

7. Use Videos for Cross Promotion

Certain businesses compliment one another.

An architect works with a lot of the same people that an interior designer works with. A criminal attorney may refer clients to a bail bonds company. Each business has similar but not competing businesses who can help them out.

Use video to help cross-promote one another. You can introduce another business to your customer base. Making one video that shows how both companies complement one another helps you both.

You can also both use the same video on your sites. You can also post it to YouTube with links back to both your websites.

8. Use for Your Signature or About Us Page

People want to do business with people they like and trust. However, when you're out there competing against billions of other websites, it's hard for people to see the personality behind the website.

Creating a video that showcases who you are is a great way for customers to get a glimpse of who you are and why you love what you do.

It doesn't have to be a long video, but using video on your About Us page or even below your signature in an e-mail is a great way to quickly give customers a sense of who you are.

Get the Help You Need

Now that you have some ideas on how to make a video blog, it's time to get started. Don't assume you'll become the Steven Spielberg of video blogs overnight.

It takes time and practice. You'll get better at determining which videos work best for your business over time.

And don't be afraid to ask for help. Contact us if you need some additional inspiration or support.

According to research, about 65% of people would rather learn through infographics. And with the rise of digital media platforms, it looks like this number is going to go up from here.

But with the rise of visual learners, what happens to content creators such as blogging platforms? How do we grab and keep visual learners attention?

This is where writing tone comes in.

You don't have to be a language guru to know that mastering personal tone in writing is everything. But how does one perfect personal writing tone when producing content? Here are some tips!

1. Read Your Content Out Loud

One of the worst mistakes when figuring out your tone in writing is using a voice that's not yours. So many times writers will force a professional feel that makes readers feel distant and disconnected from the content.

Fortunately, there's a way to be professional yet keep a personal tone in writing. Avoid using complicated language in order to express a simple point.

Consider the difference between "I had an appendectomy" and "I had my appendix removed." The latter sentence doesn't use complicated verbiage that will cause readers to drift off.

2. Drop Off Topic Tangents

If you want to master a personal tone in writing, delete all the off-topic tangents. Sometimes writing longer articles cause writers to steer off the topic on hand. If a reader clicks on your article, it's because they want to hear more about it- not about your vacation in Aruba.

3. Descriptions And Details

The use of descriptions and details are going to be vital when trying to find the personal tone in writing. Let's take, for instance, the difference between "in July" and "a humid July day". While both of them convey the same message, one encourages the reader to feel. Adding even the smallest details to your content urges the reader to use their 5 senses when digesting your content.

4. Hello, Unconventional Beginnings

It's no secret, no one uses "Once Upon A Time" to start stories anymore. And while it might have worked for us growing up, it's time to start using not-so-traditional ways in order to begin your content.

Instead of starting from the beginning, why not start from the middle? If you're producing fictional content, throw readers off by opening up the scene explaining how the murderer was struggling to leave the crime scene instead of the events leading up to the crime.

5. Use Modern-Day Language

According to recent research, 60% of young people do not read books. And while we can blame the rise of social media for this high percentage- we can also agree that relatable language isn't always used.

For example, instead of using "She slipped on her patent leather shoes and adjusted her lipstick" consider "She slipped on her new red bottoms an adjusted her lipstick."

Even though the sentences are similar, one adds a sense of contemporary language that the audience can grasp.

6. Keep Audience In Mind

When it comes to perfecting a personal tone in writing, you're always going to want to keep your demographic in mind. Even though most writers and content creators are used to using generic tones everyone could relate to, using target language is key.

While some sites function well with "dude/bro" language others work better with humor and lightheartedness. Keep your audience in mind.

7. Don't Use Language That Isn't Yours

One of the most common mistakes of modern-day content creators is stealing language that isn't their own. When they see a similar blog doing well, they begin copying color themes, picture setups, and language. They see the success of another and automatically lose themselves in the process of trying to achieve that success.

Always remember that an audience can always tell if you're bluffing. While they might not necessarily call you're bluff, they can tell if you're using borrowed language.

8. Branding

While both the New York Times and The ShadeRoom are fairly successful blogs, they both extremely different when it comes to branding. One thing that you always want to be aware of is carrying your branding tone throughout all your articles.

Because your tone in writing is going to be the first line of defense when it comes to your brand, readers will be able to tell what kind of educational and cultural background you come from within the first couple of lines.

9. Keep It Real

Lastly, if you want to perfect personal tone when writing your articles - just keep it real. A lot of times readers fall into the dreading habit of adding fluff to their content in order to steer away from what they really want to say.

Let's take authors Josh Richman and Anish Sheth for instance. Even though they've both spent many years of their lives studying medicine in prestigious universities- they wrote a book that sold thousands of copies across the country.

The title? "What's Your Poo Telling You?"

And while this may seem a bit informal to most, both Gastroenterologists used a common language in order to help readers relate to a common problem. While they could have easily used scholarly jargon in order to convey their message, they took a lighter approach that sold them thousands.

Need Content For Your Website? Let Us Help!

Whether you're trying to figure out your tone in writing or simply need some content for your site- we are here to help. We provide the perfect platform so that companies like you, are able to assign freelancers to help out with your upcoming project. Because most of the freelancers work remotely, iWriter is able to provide digital services to pretty much anyone around the world.

Have questions? Need help with content? No need to worry! We are here to help! Feel free to contact us and a member of our team will be more than happy to assist you with all of your needs.