Effective Content Marketing Strategies for Writing Platforms

Written content is still one of the most effective tools in your content marketing strategy. Despite the rise of audio and video, written content marketing had a resurgence in strength through incredible platforms.

Why larger corporations are investing in writing platforms 

More and more businesses and corporations are looking to tap into the Creator Economy and tap into new writing platforms to expand their reach and strengthen their community. 

The Creator Economy is a term describing the content from creators, revenue generated by that content, and the rise of platforms to support that. It is not showing any sign of stopping and as companies, we can harness this new wave of creators. 

Larger corporations have realized how you can tap into a new audience, engage with a new type of influencer based on expertise and authority status. These creators can support you through endorsements for your platform, products, and services.

Twitter bought newsletter platform Revue, a service that makes it free and easy for anyone to start and publish editorial newsletters. A few months back, Facebook launched a "Bulletin" newsletter service. 

“Newsletters, podcasts, premium content, and other media have exploded in popularity for startups and scale ups looking for best practices and tech news.” HubSpot reported when acquiring the publication the Hustle.

You can look at ways to collaborate and branch out of your in-house content strategy. Start harnessing new platforms, new audiences, and new advocates. 

Three exciting platforms to keep an eye on

We cannot deny that the rise of platforms like Medium and Substack has been shining a new life on written content and newsletters.

Many companies jumped on board, incorporating such platforms in their strategy by building a presence through content marketing and strategic collaborations with influencers.

These platforms nurtured targeted communities around publications and newsletters, allowing brands to speak directly to any given niche. The most successful creators have made a name for themselves by becoming the go-to experts in their field. 

Medium, the blogging platform for independent writers

Medium is a platform that empowers writers to create an online presence, build an audience, and establish themselves as authorities. Think of Medium as the “YouTube” for writers. Since being founded in 2012 by Twitter co-founder Ev Williams, it has grown to support 153 million monthly unique visitors. Writers can use it as a de facto platform for blogging, but also generate a decent living if their following grows. The top writers on Medium can tens of thousands of dollars per month on the platform.

It’s prominence and significance is such that public figures like Barack Obama use it. Even Jeff Bezos used Medium to talk about the time he got blackmailed.

Substack—delivering paid newsletter straight in your inbox 

Substack provides a simple email newsletter platform for writers to grow a dedicated and owned audience. It also enables its users to provide paid subscriptions, further empowering writers to earn a living. 

An incredible pool of journalists, podcasters, and writers are flocking in and creating their own communities with Substack. As Substack CEO Chris Best has said, their goal is “to allow writers and creators to run their own personal media empire.”

Substack now has more than 250,000 paying subscribers, and its top ten publishers collectively bring in $7 million in annualized revenue. It shows how the inbox is becoming a more attractive medium than the news feed.

Ghost, the subscription platform for creators

Lastly, Ghost is not as known, yet has proven to be another excellent platform for creators and brands alike. The platform collates memberships, subscriptions, and email newsletters, all in one place, making it the most comprehensive option. 

Still up and coming, this growing publishing platform is used by Apple, Sky News, Buffer, OpenAI, and thousands more.

Strategy based on your content marketing needs

Let's say you want to tap into the creator economy. What should be your strategy? There are two main options that you can look at when it comes to creating a strategy for written content outside your website. 

Create a side-blog for your brand

The first strategy will work if you don't want to have a blog on your website or are looking to create a spin-off. This strategy could do wonders for your SEO targets. Remember, 68% of online experiences begin with a search engine.

You can start a themed newsletter, like the team behind the Get Together podcast. You can run a targeted publication on behind-the-scenes trends and industry news like Pinterest did on Medium for creators. The best plan would be to try and be specific and not simply replicate what you already have. 

Can you talk to a specific subset of your audience? Maybe turn your Substack newsletter into a series? Use Ghost for behind-the-scenes essays? The options are endless.

Invest in targeted sponsorships

Another strategy would be to outsource fully, and look to sponsor and partner only. If you're not interested in having any content, you can tap into people already on these platforms and collaborate. 

More and more brands are looking to sponsor Substack newsletters and Medium posts (this happened to me more than once). This type of strategy will require you to build a relationship with key players.

After you reach out, be open to hearing how they see this partnership going. Especially as you're asking creators to write a piece of content for their audience, spotlighting your brand and who you are. Leave them creative freedom to come up with ideas that would work best for the platform and the audience they know they can reach.

Connect with “key players”

If you're still struggling to choose the platform based on just your needs, look at the key players and prominent influencers on them. These might help you choose where you should put your attention. 

Expose yourself to new engaged audiences and collaborate with experts who built communities of super fans. Take the time to follow and read their work to make sure it would fit with your brand. Remember, honest endorsements and opinions can do wonders for building trust. HubSpot shows that 75% of people don’t believe adverts, yet 90% trust suggestions from family and friends and 70% trust consumer reviews.

How to tap into the creator economy

By understanding which strategy works best, you can get clarity on the platform that may suit you and your audience best. Exploring the different platforms and looking for your niche within them is essential, as they will all naturally attract other users.

Thanks to these new platforms that are now rising in popularity, you're able to create a new content marketing strategy. It will help you not just with brand awareness, SEO and exposure, but also conversion and trust for potential customers.

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[Feature image by Trust "Tru" Katsande on Unsplash]