I’ve got a confession to make. This blog post was supposed to be published about 3 weeks ago. It’s not because I’m bone idle… honest. Annoying things (urgent paid work) got in the way.

Back on the 13th November, I hosted a Twitter chat called #ContentClubUK. I’d not even been involved in a Twitter chat before I found this awesome little community of like-minded biscuit lovers. Now, I look forward to it every week.

Aside from deciding what biscuits to eat, the concept is pretty simple. Each week, on a Tuesday, at 11am (GMT), the host asks 3 questions related to content marketing. Answers are given by marketers, copywriters, designers and anyone else that wants to take part.

There really are some amazing snippets of advice, from all sorts of perspectives, and it’s good fun too. So, even though this is a bit late, the insight and knowledge shared is still just as valuable.

Here are some of the highlights.

Q1: How do you decide on the best format(s) for a piece of content?

Often, I think we are guilty of defaulting to a particular type of content (especially online) when trying to communicate an idea to our audience. So, I wanted to see what thought processes people have when deciding on a format.

For a freelance copywriter, as Nick Blatchley tweeted, the answer can be quite simple:

But, what the client wants may not always be the best format for their audience, and ultimately, it’s them we have to think about:

Fellow copywriter Laura Parker rightly pointed out that competition for attention is high, and the wrong format is a sure-fire way to lose your audience to the competition.

As well as your audience, the topic you’re talking about and the ideas you want to communicate need to take top priority when considering format:

Tech writer Craig Wright highlighted the link between the two – finding a format that communicates your ideas clearly, and also engages with your audience.

A special mention goes to web designer Dave Smyth, who brought my attention to something new: 

That something new was the A11y Project, a community-driven effort to make web accessibility easier. When designing and writing content, we should be checking to make sure that it is easily accessible and digestible for all.

On top of that, Dave also made another great observation – content can be repurposed. Different people consume content in different ways, and presenting the same information in alternative formats is a brilliant way to capture the attention of a wider audience, over a longer period of time.

Last but not least, Gareth Hancock, the man behind That. Content. Shed., reminded us that we should never forget the aim of content when deciding its format:

Q2: How do you establish and maintain the right tone of voice for content?

Whether you’re working in-house, as a freelancer writing for your own business or a client’s – tone of voice is always a difficult thing to pin down. It’s an essential part of a brand, and deserves considerable attention.

Not an easy one to answer in 280 characters, but #ContentClubUK‘s copywriters gave it a damn good go:

If you’re a freelance writer, a key bit of advice from some of the pro copywriters (Rose Crompton, Matt Ayres, Megan Rose and André Spiteri), is to spend time talking to your client. Get to know them and their business. Once you’ve done this, you can try to bridge the gap between the client and the language their audience connects with.

Tone of voice might not always be crystal clear in the brief, and can vary based on platform and purpose, but it’s important to nail it before you start writing.

Once you’ve got it down, maintaining it should be easy, as long as you follow some of these tips:

Creating a ToV document gives you (or anyone else creating content for that business) an important reference to help maintain the correct tone.

Copywriter Glenn Fisher advised to keep a copy of key words and phrases handy when writing, plus cross-referencing with existing content your audience reads.

And finally, something all writers need to bear in mind:

Travel copywriter Kelly Dunning made a great point. Regardless of the tone you need to write with, ditching flowery language for concise, plain English is often best.

Q3. You’ve produced an awesome piece of content. How do you make sure the right people find it?

You can put all the effort into creating a great piece of content – maybe it looks great; nails the tone of voice; is written beautifully. If nobody finds its, nobody takes the desired action – the content doesn’t fulfill its purpose – and that effort is wasted.

Promoting content is arguably more important than creating it (unless your content is the next great cat video). Even if you do get a lot of likes, views and shares, does that mean that the right people have found your content and engaged with it?

As freelance copywriter Annie Writes answered, you might not have to do the promotion bit for clients, but you certainly do for your own content. Content promotion requires planning and persistence, and as most freelancers know, distraction and procrastination can be your enemy:

You really do need to be persistent. Content marketing takes time, and it can be disheartening when you don’t get instant results.

Howard Walwyn pointed us in the direction of the 30 month mindset (via copywriter John Espirian), which goes to show the level of consistent and long-term effort you’ll need to put in when it comes to promoting content.

Whilst organic traffic is unlikely to stream in overnight, it is possible to get results quicker. As Sid Balachandran and our good friend in the shed explain:

It’s true that social media can get eyes on your content, and quickly. To make a success of it though, you still need to do the legwork when it comes to research, planning and optimising the content for each platform. Wise words from Fi Shailes:

And, another pro tip here – look at other platforms your audience uses, and where you can promote your content. Medium and LinkedIn are great places to republish. For niche topics, answering questions on community sites such as Quora and Reddit can provide more exposure, as Emma Lander answered:

Finally, and I think this one is really important – look at ways in which your audience engages with your content. You should be inviting, helpful and involved – promoting discussion.

If your audience comes across your content when it has been shared by their peers, they are far more likely to read it, trust it, and share it themselves:

I want to join #ContentClubUK!

As you’ll see from the highlights (and I could have picked many more), this is a Twitter chat that’s not to be missed.

I’ve taken away something useful every week, and I think you would too. So here’s another reminder – it happens on a Tuesday, at 11am (GMT). Follow the hashtag, and get involved.

Oh, and bring biscuits.