It has arguably never been more competitive for brands to reach their target markets online. Our digital sphere is filled with thousands of brands grappling for attention across every platform imaginable. And creating a consistent flow of high-performing content that piques the interest of key audiences can sometimes feel like an uphill battle – but it doesn’t have to be that way. Brands of all sizes should make their content creation process work for them by strategically repurposing and reusing existing content in different formats and channels.

Content creation for most brands is time-consuming and resource-intensive, so repackaging this content in different mediums ensures your content sees the highest Return On Investment (ROI), by maximising its reach and value. Additional benefits of repurposing content include reaching new potential consumers, building brand awareness, generating high-quality leads and increasing conversions while also improving organic visibility and SEO. According to a recent 2023 report from ReferralRock, when marketers were asked about the best content marketing strategy (out of content creation, content repurposing, and updating old content) that delivered the best results, 46% pointed to content repurposing. But how do you start implementing this into your content plan? Join Wordsmith, as we take you through a step-by-step guide on how to successfully repurpose your content.

Receiving a message can trigger many emotions. It could be euphoria from receiving an invitation out for a night of fun. Or it could be dread and fear sparked by your manager’s unreasonable demands. However, not all messages come from people in your social or business circle – some may come from complete strangers. These are referred to as cold-call messages.

While some people do reach out because of a legitimate business opportunity or concern, it’s unfortunate that the world of cold-calls is heavily congested with spam and scams. Just look at your recent WhatsApp message history and recall how many people are claiming to be a headhunter or a long-lost friend! Without batting an eye, we just block them and move on with our day… but let’s say we get tasked with sending out a genuine cold-call. How should we approach someone to avoid getting immediately blocked? Join Wordsmith and let’s find out!

Philosophy is a hardcore field of study. Its topics are often difficult to grasp, and with no inherently right or wrong answers, debates can devolve into pretentious bickering matches. Whether we actively engage in philosophical thinking or not, there’s no denying that much of what we consider to be common sense and logic today is influenced from the teachings of famous philosophers – most notably, the big three of Ancient Greece. 

As a marketer, how does philosophy come into play when we are cooking up content for our audiences? Join Wordsmith as we get a little philosophical!

Phillip Stanhope, the 4th Earl of Chesterfield, once said that “Whatever is worth doing at all, is worth doing well.” Desire has and always will be the greatest motivator.

Whether pursuing career or education, getting waitlisted or having to wait for an official response is always a potential outcome. Is waiting all we can really do? Definitely not! In cases where it would be too informal to rely on a casual WhatsApp message or email, a letter of continued interest is the most professional way to show that you are keen to proceed. Join Wordsmith and let’s learn to draft these potentially life-altering letters.

The undoubtable hot topic of the moment is ChatGPT. Heralded as the world’s next big disruptor, Harvard Business Review declared that we’re entering a new era of AI, while other leading experts suggest that ChatGPT has the potential to dethrone Google and become the planet’s most used search engine. 

But what exactly is it? Business news platform ZDNET defines it as “a natural language processing tool driven by AI technology that allows you to have human-like conversations and much more with a chatbot.” This new conversational AI interface built on the GPT-3 large language model is attracting nearly 40 million users per day, and has the capability of performing a variety of tasks including answering research questions, translating languages, composing songs, and generating computer code. Actor Ryan Reynolds even used the language model to write his latest commercial for Mint Mobile.

According to a recent study, 73% of marketing experts in the Word Finder poll believe ChatGPT will increase our efficiency, automate tasks (68%) and help perform data analysis (63%). So, this all begs the question: are the robots really taking over, and if they do, will content creators become obsolete? Before you completely rethink your career, you’ll be happy to know that ChatGPT is not without limitations. As with any emerging AI technology, ChatGPT has a number of glaring weaknesses that can impact your content’s performance, prejudice, truthfulness and accuracy. Join Wordsmith to find out the key reasons why the content creator’s role is here to stay.

As copywriters and marketers, we often rely upon the written word to sway the emotions and decisions of our audience. Some consumers (and clients) are notorious for not knowing what they want, but you can rest assured that they’ll bring torches and pitchforks the moment they spot bad content, which is why good writers need to constantly hone their craft.

Although we can’t expect everyone to write at top-tier levels, it’s very easy to tell when a writer is not confident – and with how unforgiving audiences are with first impressions, leaving your reputation up to trial and error is too dangerous. Curious to see if you have any bad habits that need fixing? Read on!

Although writing for recognition is often frowned upon, some writers still need the assurance that someone out there is reading their content. A meaningful comment or conversation would be great, but even a simple +1 to the view count can trick our brains into being satisfied. However, what do we do when our work fails to get any engagement… or worse yet, even any views?

For owners of small businesses or blogs, it can certainly feel like a death sentence – what good is marketing content without an audience? Should we just pack it in? Should we solicit our family and friends? Or should we buy up ad space and hope for the best? If you have ever found yourself in such a situation and have had these thoughts, this article might be the solution to your troubles!

How well do you know your audience? If you’ve experienced the agency life, it’s common to have to juggle multiple clients and projects at the same time – meaning you also need to develop content for a wide range of audiences. Since agencies can get pretty hectic and unpredictable, you definitely can’t afford to have your audience be one of these volatile elements. Even if you are an in-house marketer and work exclusively on one product for one audience type, their preferences and mindsets are always evolving, hence the need for regular updates. 

To avoid any potential mishaps, audience profiles are a fine way to keep track of your audience types without mess or fuss. Join Wordsmith and let’s get organised!

When it comes to business, making mistakes and learning from them is a healthy part of growth. But repeating the same mistakes over and over can not only be harmful – it can be unnecessarily costly to your brand’s reputation and bottom line. The problem is, some content marketing mistakes are not immediately noticeable, and can go undetected for some time. With anecdotal emotion-led stories and vanity metrics, even the best content marketers can fool themselves into believing the strategies they implement are successful.

Content marketing is more than just the production or publication of content on digital platforms, it requires a deeper understanding of existing and prospective consumers to produce tailored content that truly resonates. Content strategist and writer, James O’Brien elaborates, "The idea central to content marketing is that a brand must give something valuable to get something valuable in return. Instead of the commercial, be the show. Instead of the banner ad, be the feature story. The value returned is often that people associate good things with — and return to engage with — the brand." So, it stands to reason if you’re not using content marketing to your advantage in 2023 you’re missing out on a lot of opportunities to grow. Recent research from Semrush reports that nearly 70% of marketers and business owners say they plan to increase their content marketing budgets in 2023 – despite the looming recession. Why? Because it continues to be one of the most effective tools in a marketer’s arsenal. To make the most out of your content marketing campaigns this year, join Wordsmith to find out what classic mistakes businesses are making and most importantly – how to fix them going forward.

In marketing and copywriting, we often operate under the assumption that people are willing to read our content after sufficient persuasion. Although a good hook is essential, it may not be enough to keep certain audiences from continuing – some people just don’t enjoy reading. Whether due to a mental block, an overly stressful day or simply because they find words to be a turn off, getting through to these people is no easy feat. How are we supposed to appeal to such audiences when the medium is the problem?

Short of a making telephone call, a video or a conversation in person, the written word is often all that we have to work with… but before we give up on these people, there are a few tricks that we can try to make our material more entertaining and easier to read. Interested? Then read on for more Wordsmith-approved tips!

OpenAI’s ChatGPT and chatbots in general have been the talk of the town since late 2022. Unlike some of the other artificial intelligence (AI) writing bots that we’ve explored in the past, ChatGPT is a new breed of AI that pushes aside older models with its deep learning capabilities. The programme has grown so influential and powerful that even academic institutions like the Hong Kong Baptist University banned its use, and adult animated series South Park parodied the subject on how some users could easily develop an overreliance on convenience (that episode happened to be co-written by the chatbot).

Is ChatGPT really as incredible as the media has been propping up to be? If AI is now capable of writing TV shows, what’s to stop it from doing more? Could it spread to copywriting and doom our careers? Join Wordsmith and let’s find out!

Some businesses think that they can get away with bad business writing – and we don’t just mean grammar and spelling mistakes, we mean sloppy copy that is unenticing to read. Although startups and young entrepreneurs tend to favour the cheapest possible solutions, even well-established businesses can be forced to cut corners when budgets are tight. Are you guilty of bad business writing? What even is business writing and why does it matter? Join Wordsmith and let’s find out!

In the midst of a global recession, customer experience (CX) is integral to your brand’s success. And with consumers being constantly bombarded with ads, emails and timely promotions, your content needs to stand out and add value to the ever-changing conversation. When you remove all the special deals and flashy new product add-ons, it is your content that really makes all the difference between a one-off buyer and a loyal customer.  

As a key driver of consumer retention and brand loyalty, CX defines how your audiences interact with your product or service. So, you should be asking, “How do your current consumers feel about your brand?”, “Are they getting genuine value for money?”, “Would they recommend your brand to someone else?”, “Will they make a repeat purchase?” Reflecting on these questions can help you determine how strong your CX is and whether there are glaring gaps or key areas that need improvement. And the best way to start improving your CX is to focus on how you talk to your existing customers.

No one likes to be the bearer of bad news, but as copywriters and communications experts, the responsibility often falls on us. And although bad news is unpleasant enough on its own, bad news that is delivered improperly might worsen an already uncomfortable situation. Should we sugarcoat the news? Should we just rip the band-aid off at the start? Or perhaps somewhere in-between? Join Wordsmith as we explore the best way to deliver an unpleasant message.

In an increasingly challenging market, consumer acquisition for businesses is often more expensive, and paid advertising tactics may not offer the same return on investment (ROI) they once did. This year, the demand and supply shocks, coupled with rising interest rates, inflation, increases in the cost of living and a cloudy macroeconomic climate are forcing consumers across the globe to realign their shopping habits and adopt cost-cutting behaviours, so competition for consumers’ attention is likely to be fiercer than ever.

According to PWC’s 2023 Global Consumer Insights Pulse Survey, 96% of consumers intend to implement some type of cost savings plan over the next six months. But don’t worry, it’s not all doom and gloom. Research shows that consumers remain resilient and are keen to resume their pre-covid habits by returning to brick-and-motor stores and travelling again. 43% of consumers also said they plan to increase online shopping in the next six months. So, what’s the main takeaway? PWC explains that consumers on the whole are “seeking frictionless experiences in a world of disruptions”, meaning that they’re willing to part with their cash in exchange for seamless brand experiences that meet their needs. So, when it comes to generating quality leads, consumer-facing companies need to put their best foot forward and create content that pushes ideal prospects further down the marketing funnel. Join Wordsmith to find out three ways you can drive more high-quality leads this year through content creation.  

 Anyone who’s been in the business of writing will inevitably get burned out and lose focus of what they’re doing – the biggest signs of burn out being when time seems to be always working against you and the realisation that your work doesn’t have the same level of spunk as before.

From amateur to professional writer, burning out is like finding yourself stranded on a desert island. Even though it can happen to the best of us, it’s essential that we learn how to move forward, as unfocused writing is both bad for business and painful to read . If you’re worried about being unfocused (or already are), this article is for you!

Lunar New Year represents the end of the old and the beginning of the new. Although it’s been a month or so since the new year, there’s no reason to wait until next year to take up new writing habits and polish off outdated material – especially on LinkedIn, where there are a surge of new job listings and people looking to make new connections after the holidays. Even if you’re not in the market for a new job, it’s still important to maintain a well-maintained account. Why? Because professionals can’t afford to have outdated and unkempt appearances! Join Wordsmith as we do a bit of LinkedIn spring cleaning.

Soliciting the attention of strangers is never easy, especially when trying to do so via email. Without a face or a physical voice to associate with an email, recipients often feel unmotivated to deal with the mass of marketing and promotions that land in their inbox. One or two emails are alright for a quick skim… but when we get a lot of these at once, it can quickly feel like we’re in the middle of a shouting match between all the different marketers – all of whom are eager to get their hands on our attention and business. If you’re one such marketer, how could you make your content more approachable for your audience? Join Wordsmith and let’s find out!

During economic slowdowns, most companies’ knee-jerk reactions are to tighten their belts and slash budgets— and marketing departments are usually one of the first (and worst) hit. But as we’ve seen time and time again, deprioritising marketing budgets actually erodes brand share, making it harder to recover when the economy is ready to bounce back.

There’s no denying that it's been a tough couple of years. From the pandemic health crises to extreme weather events, rising interest rates to record-setting inflation and now we’re bracing ourselves for another, dare we say it, “unprecedented situation”. As both businesses and customers struggle to come to terms with what constitutes a “new normal”, it’s clear that everyone is remaining cautious with all forms of spending while strategising how best to navigate the socio-economic hurdles of 2023.