Writing content is more than just telling a story

The essentials of writing excellent content

Are you beginning to wonder about how effective content writing is? Maybe you’ve written some outstanding pieces that received only a lukewarm response. All those long hours of research on problem solving for your niche, then writing, editing and polishing posts for a handful of shares. It’s a bit worrisome, isn’t it?

That’s because there’s a popular misconception about writing great content. The actual writing of the content is only half of the formula for success. You can write absolutely brilliant posts that are on topic, providing top-notch solutions for your audience - but if you don’t have a strategy for how to consistently produce and market it, it’s not going to do you much good.

So, today we’re going to focus on the entire picture, not just one segment of it. Let’s start with some of the primary elements of writing excellent content for small businesses, then cover the basics of strategizing for the digital marketplace.

Content must be Scannable

It’s important to remember that the majority of people searching online are looking to be educated, informed or entertained – and they want answers now. They’re not settling in for a relaxing read, they’re hunting for solutions.

So, compelling online content needs to be scanable to quickly answer the readers’ question: “Will this post provide me with the education, information or entertainment I’m looking for?”

To achieve this, you must provide the most important information first, with the supporting details and background information coming second. In this way, if they only glance through your first paragraph they can easily ascertain if your post is going to give them what they’re looking for.

Direct the Readers’ Eye

You can further expedite readers finding your amazing solutions by directing their attention through the use of headings and subheadings, bold text, bullets, numbered lists, infographics and original images.

Clickable links, clear social media buttons and strong calls to action should also be easy to spot and act upon.

Know your Audience

One of the key factors in writing excellent content is about knowing your audience. You must have a thorough knowledge of their problems and concerns, and provide the solutions they want. Your personal opinions and ideas about what might be interesting are completely irrelevant.

Scour forums and blogs in your niche for comments and questions that will develop a clear picture of what keeps them up at night, then craft an appropriate solution based on their needs and desires.

Make your content actionable

This is much more than simply giving your readers a link to click on or a guide to download, it’s more about teaching them how to problem-solve on their own.

Craft your content in such a manner so as to inspire them to apply the information you provide to their own situation, and provide tips and resources they can use for immediate results.

Be concise to retain attention

Keep your content concise and on point to keep your readers’ attention. If your solution has multiple facets, write a series to cover all the aspects. Keep your words simple and avoid overly technical verbiage.

Know what your goal is before you start writing, and write to fulfill that purpose.

Minimize self-promotion

Sales will come if you provide content and related products or services that are solution based.

Your post should be focused on providing the best possible outcome for your audience’s problems by giving the reader enough information to generate interest and get them to take action. Overt personal or brand self-promotion is seen as self-serving and shallow and will have the effect of driving readers away.

Be accurate with resources

Sources, statistics and data all need to be accurate and transparent. In today’s digital marketplace information gets shared incredibly fast. To avoid embarrassment, or worse, being seen as an amateur, take the time to do some fact checking first. At all times, ensure your information is reliable and accurate.

Have a Plan

Before you even think about writing content, you need to have a strategy in place in order to know what to do, when and how to do it.

Simply tossing content online when you have the time to squeeze it in will result in haphazard, sporadic results. You need a plan that outlines how you will produce content that can be delivered on a consistent, repeatable basis. The easiest way to do this is to have a business plan that details your content marketing strategies, so that at all times you know what your next steps are.

Be realistic in determining how often you can post content, and how you’re going to market it. Pre-determine the answers to the following questions:

• What social media platforms will you use? Who will post to social media, and how often? What “style” will you use?
• How often will you post to your company blog?
• How much do you have for an advertising budget? What type of advertising campaign(s) will your run?
• Who will do your writing? What type of “voice” do you want to represent your work?
• What will be your newsletter strategies?
• How else can you promote your content? Is guest posting, HUB pages or submission to article directories an option?

Once you know the answers to your content marketing questions, calenderize a timeframe and stick with it.

Vary your content platforms

To reach as large an audience as possible, expand your content with a variety of platforms: blogs, how-to guides, ebooks, infographics, newsletters, and social media are all viable options.

Execute and evaluate

Once you’ve determined your content strategies, you need to execute and evaluate. Follow your calendar to stay on track, evaluate the results you’re getting with analytics and adjust where necessary.

With this two-pronged system for writing excellent content and producing it consistently, you’ll enjoy the benefits of dependable returns for your efforts.