![The recognition of MVPs across our editorial department is not only a reflection of some of our most talented staff, but also those who have set themselves apart in terms […]](https://www.brafton.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Nick-Kakolowski-350x277.jpg "The recognition of MVPs across our editorial department is not only a reflection of some of our most talented staff, but also those who have set themselves apart in terms […]")
The recognition of MVPs across our editorial department is not only a reflection of some of our most talented staff, but also those who have set themselves apart in terms of consistent results for our clients and standout leadership within their teams. The second installment in our three-part series highlights this year’s top writer: Nick Kakolowski.
Meet Nick
He expresses himself outside the office through creative writing and poetry, but on the job he’s known for mastering some of Brafton’s most technical topics. He’s got a strong grasp on complex industries and his constant desire to learn makes writing to the nuances of clients’ businesses a seamless process – for him and his customers.
He was a natural fit for Brafton’s Industry and Technology team when he started at Brafton more than three years ago, and now Nick Kakolowski is equally fit to receive the title Writer of the Year.
“Nick produces some of the best long-form work you’ll ever see,” Industry and Technology Section Editor Dan Maloof said. “I know I can give him anything remotely close to technical and he will dive into it and understand the subject matter almost immediately.”
Assistant Editor Josh Grant echoed, “Nick consistently knocks his duties out of the park. Beyond making my life infinitely easier by tackling such difficult projects, he’s also a fantastic interviewer and crushes white papers at every turn. If I could clone Nick, I would.”
Nick’s real-world results
Nick’s expertise in crafting complex whitepapers stems from his love of a challenge. Providing high-level insights on a variety of topics and the opportunity to dig deeper into the industries he’s covering is one aspect of his job he appreciates most – and it also benefits our tech clients Nick serves.
“It’s really about exploring new ideas, challenging myself. Brafton’s been a great opportunity to become immersed in technical industries. I’m constantly learning.”
The tech industry is one of the fastest rising in content marketing. Studies project that tech marketers spend about a third of their budget toward content marketing. Data also shows more than 99 percent of B2B software marketers use content to showcase thought leadership. Nick knows technical industries have little room for error if they want to maintain credibility and authority with the likes of engineers or IT developers. He rises to this challenge, and Nick’s maintained several months of 0.0 percent CRE (Client Recognized Error).
His clients appreciate his diligence – and so do their customers. Nick’s work proves that even shorter form content can have a big impact when it’s well done: Last quarter alone, one third of all conversions on a client’s site stemmed from traffic that read Nick’s industry news articles.
A valuable teammate
Nick taught high school English and Latin before delving into the content marketing sector, and education remains one of his strongest value.
Nick consistently shares best practices for teammates – and companies – looking to deliver premium tech content, no matter how niche. He’s developed briefs and handbooks to assist new technology writers and he views work for clients as an education tool as well.
“I like to teach and all writing and communication, whether it’s writing about something in culture or how businesses can leverage solutions effectively, is essentially teaching,” he said. “I’ve always learned well from reading, taking in lots of materials and analyzing.”
Focusing on what niche publications are doing correctly in his industry has helped Nick to develop his own voice. He suggests all new writers “read everything they can get their hands on. When you develop an idea of what style works for the sector, you know what the readers want and expect to hear, and then you can expand on that with your own knowledge.”
Read more tips from Nick for writers and businesses who outsource content here.
Nick’s main priority for 2014: Exploring new ideas and challenges
With the Writer of the Year title under his belt, can Nick say a writing career at Brafton has always been his “dream job?” Maybe not – but Nick never had a finely mapped career goal, and he’s glad to be in an evolving industry.
“I never really envisioned myself in a specific job role,” he said. “I love being outdoors, learning, writing – there are so many things I’m interested in. When I envision what I want to do professionally, it’s really about exploring new ideas, challenging myself. That’s what excites me more than any specific role. Brafton’s been a great opportunity to become immersed in technical industries. I’m constantly learning.”
Find out how our writers cover content with search trends, social buzz and SEO in mind here.
