I know, there are a million blogs out there with ideas on how to write great content. But having supervised and written hundreds of thousands of pieces of content for the internet I’ve learned some valuable things. Get into your topic fast, write what you actually know and fulfill the promise of the headline. If you can do that, the rest is easy. But let’s get into it a little more indepth.
GET INTO YOUR TOPIC FAST
Don't beat around the bush when it comes to the point you are trying to make. People reading online have an endless amount of free content. If they find themselves scrolling endless to figure out what shoes to buy or when the best time to cut their lawn is, they're not going to stick around. People want information and they want it quickly. You got 15 seconds to tell people what they want to know. So get to the point. Best time to mow your lawn is in the morning? Say it right away. Nikes are the best running shoes for under $150 dollars? Tell me that from the start. You'll have plenty of time to go into further detail but now the reader understand and they're hooked in. They'll give you the space once they know they got what they're looking for.
The worst thing you can do is meander. I hate to break it to you but unless you're a popular online writer with a devoted following you're not going to get a long leash to lead your writers in. You need to hit them fast.
Though not always the best content on the internet, affiliate content usually does a good job of getting into the topic quickly. Look here:
WRITE WHAT YOU ACTUALLY KNOW
Your goal when you write is to bring value to your reader. If you're not a doctor you shouldn't write about medicine. If you're not a trainer you shouldn't write about the best workouts. The way to provide value to your reader is to write about what you actually know.
This doesn't mean you need to have a degree in your subject matter. It does, however, mean that you need to have real information about it.
Don't be afraid to be personal. You may not have a degree in exercise science but you do know the exercises that work best for you when it comes to relieving stress. You might not be a chef but you might have a recipe you think is great for a date night. When you are writing with confidence it makes your writing leaps and bounds better.
FULFILL THE PROMISE OF THE HEADLINE
I've seen so many companies fail to live up to the promise of the headline. You'll see an article with the words "complete" and "everything" that has an article that doesn't contain either.
You'll see articles about the "real reason" and it ends up being a guess or a theory. That's not a good experience. Imagine walking into a restaurant that promises "authentic french cuisine" and when you get in there they just heat up a frozen dinner. Feel letdown? That's how readers feel when they get duped by a headline.
When you write a headline, and I advise you start with that, ask yourself what the reader expects from the article. How would they want it formatted? What's the best way to present that information? How can the reader walk away feeling good about their experience?
Be true to your word and put them first. If you can do that then you'll find your audience. It might take you some time depending on the subject matter but you will find them.
Hubspot has a fantastic marketing blog. Here's an example of one of their headlines:
You can see it makes the kind of promise you'd want when you search for "how to create a good PPC campaign"
The article itself is pretty great. It's comprehensive and breaks down everything you need to run a successful PPC campaign.
Just use your knowledge to create great articles. The rest often takes care of itself.
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