Story-Driven Blog Content: Research, Interviews, Writing, and SEO
The Project: Transforming a Generic Company Blog Into a Story-Driven Platform That Showed the Human Side of the Brand
I got my start as a writer working in journalism, and I’m very proud of those roots. Storytelling skills have been particularly helpful in this modern era of marketing. Right now, there is a lot of competition for attention, and AI can easily write traditional SEO blogs, making it more important to tell real human stories and share ideas to stand out.
That was my aim while working as an in-house copywriter for a CBD company out of Boulder, Colorado. Originally, the blog was only used for guides and how-tos. But we transitioned to make well-researched and human stories the focus. I interviewed chefs who cook with hemp, talked to the foremost experts for industry trends, and wrote about CBD current events. As someone who loves athletics, I often wrote about CBD and sports when I had the opportunity.
Another central focus was telling customer stories. Customers would regularly reach out to the company of their own volition to say how much the products helped them.
Often, these brief comments hinted that there might be something deeper to their stories. It was natural to pursue the conversation further. One man, a former opiate addict with Lyme disease, for instance, no longer wanted to take painkillers for his symptoms. He found that CBD was the best non-psychosomatic treatment. Today he spends his days helping other addicts in recovery. Another man, a former detective, was living like a Hollywood stereotype, the old cop drinking too much to manage his physical and mental traumas. CBD helped him get back on his feet. There were a lot of fascinating experiences like these.
This is my very favorite type of content to write for brands. It’s way more fulfilling for me to tell a story than write an ad. I get to talk to people and discuss ideas to make something that’s entertaining for people to read, all while indiscreetly, naturally building brand credibility.
My Tasks: Research, Interviews, Writing and SEO
I had to develop the blog content from start to finish, including:
Research topic ideas
Interview subjects
Write and edit content
Include SEO best practices
Write social media posts promoting the blog
Post and design the blogs on the website
(Fun facts: I used to be a paginator for a newspaper. That’s the person who designs the news on the pages that eventually get printed. I’m also a former web editor/manager for a digital publication, meaning I designed a lot of web pages. So I know how to make page layouts look nice online and in print!)
Results
These stories consistently generated positive feedback from customers. Sales reps regularly referenced blog stories in their conversations with customers, an organic signal that the content was doing its job. Customer stories began to surface more frequently, with readers proactively reaching out to share their experiences. The blog gained a reputation for thoughtful, human storytelling.
If you’re looking for someone to help make your blog content more personal and human-focused, schedule a free call or email me at jessie@jupitercopywriting.com.