Although my articles have never gone viral, one of my pieces did earn me a surprising amount of money. And the strange thing is that I wasn’t even trying to make money. I was just experimenting with a revenue sharing website and trying to figure out what works with online content.
Writing for Clients versus Writing for Yourself
As a freelance writer, I provide content based on the needs of clients. I write on a wide range of topics because the clients have different niches and target audiences. The clients all want informative articles or blog posts that educate their readers and encourage them to buy. According to Demand Metric, content marketing is more cost effective than traditional marketing methods and results in 3 times as many leads.
However, when I first started writing for myself, I provided informative content on any topic that interested me and hoped that others would also want to read the articles. For my first foray into revenue share writing, I spent 10 minutes writing an article on how to get emergency money to pay the rent. I wrote off the top of my head from information I had acquired over the years.
The Best Topic to Write About
I continued to write articles on a wide range of topics for the revenue share website such as treating acne, investing in gold, and weight loss. I even started using online tools to research the most popular keywords.
After a few months, I realized that the articles that brought in the most revenue for me were about getting money, making money, saving money or investing your money.
Content results in more leads, profits and money.
How Much Money Did I Make?
My very first article about emergency rent money earned me close to $1500 in about 17 months. This was the easiest money I had ever made because I never spent time promoting my articles. My second highest paying article about saving money on housing costs brought in about $400 during that same period.
What These Articles Had in Common
Besides being about money, my top earning articles also told people what to do to solve a problem. I offered advice that was actionable. I told readers where to go and what to do. The Content Marketing Institute states that one of the best practices of content marketing is providing solutions for the problems your target audience has.
My top earning articles were also list articles or listicles, although that was not my intent. These were also how-to articles. I give readers the steps to solve a problem.
Is There a Secret Code to Content Marketing?
I don’t know if there is a code to content marketing, but my experiment led to some interesting conclusions:
- 1. Write about money in some way whether the client’s business is pets, health, or cloud computing
- 2. Help people to solve an immediate problem they face
- 3. Provide a list of options
- 4. Offer actionable steps or a how-to guide
I think numbers 2 and 4 apply to almost every piece of content you write. Content marketing is about giving people the information they need to improve their lives both personally and professionally. Readers are then more likely to buy products or services if they feel a company is an expert in its field.
Content marketing takes many forms. As long as you provide useful information, you will hold your reader’s attention. For more information on content writing services, download our ebook 10 Content Marketing Companies Compared 2016
Media Shower writer Louise Banks specializes in marketing, health, business, personal finance, and tech.