Blog Post | Oct 18, 2022
Use These Tips to Create More Compelling Content
Writing content can be a challenge, especially for those who are not regularly tasked with the job. But even reluctant marketers-turned-content-writers can use this guide to create interesting, well-structured writing that resonates with audiences. From planning to providing your prospects with clear direction, consider these easy-to-incorporate tips for your next content assignment.
If you’ve ever found yourself tasked with creating content during your integrated marketing career, you know how challenging it can be. You need to consider all the traditional elements of writing (who, what, when, where, why, how), as well as who you’re talking to, what their pain points are and how to grab their attention and keep them reading.
Fortunately, we’ve compiled this list of five tips for writing better content, making your job easier and giving your audience what they want.
Start With Your Goals
From the start, before you ever begin typing or set pen to paper, you must ensure that your objectives are clear. What do you want to communicate with this piece? What key message should your audience take away? Plan out your content, thinking through what your customers need, what they will need to do to achieve it (resources, skills), and how your information will guide them.
Know Your Audience
Before you can give advice, you need to understand who you are talking to and what types of concerns or questions they have. You can’t write so broadly that you address everyone, but neither do you want to write so niche that you limit your audience to a very small subset of consumers. Instead, determine significant characteristics of your ideal reader such as topics and themes of interest, their goals/obstacles, if they are familiar with your brand or your competitors, etc.
Write an Outline
An outline is the perfect opportunity to arrange your research or details into a logical order, creating a coherent structure for your information and directing the flow. The best part about using an outline is that you’re instantly rewarded for the time it takes to put it together. Moreover, it provides an organized structure for fine-tuning your main content point: the question of “what’s in it for me” (WIIFM) for your audience?
Hook the Reader
According to Nielsen Norman Group, nearly 60% of page-viewing is done “above the fold” (before you scroll an article), meaning that you don’t have a lot of time to grab your reader’s attention. Create engagement from the outset by jumping straight into the content promised by your headline. Parcel out information in such a way that you pique readers’ curiosity and give them a reason to care and read on. This is probably the most challenging step in creating an effective hook, so put time into addressing their specific needs.
Make it Actionable
The goal of any content production should be sharing valuable information with your prospects. The more they see your organization as an authority that shares important, relevant information, the more they will trust and return to you for future help or guidance. Use specific, actionable tips to lay out exactly what readers must do to achieve the goals or outcomes you discuss. And be sure to use images, screenshots, video or other visuals to help “show” the story
The Key Takeaway
If you take away anything from this post, let it be this: be clear, be specific and be audience focused. If you are writing for and about their needs, you will find yourself well on your way to capturing their loyalty. And what more can you ask for than that?
Fortunately, we’ve compiled this list of five tips for writing better content, making your job easier and giving your audience what they want.
Start With Your Goals
From the start, before you ever begin typing or set pen to paper, you must ensure that your objectives are clear. What do you want to communicate with this piece? What key message should your audience take away? Plan out your content, thinking through what your customers need, what they will need to do to achieve it (resources, skills), and how your information will guide them.
Know Your Audience
Before you can give advice, you need to understand who you are talking to and what types of concerns or questions they have. You can’t write so broadly that you address everyone, but neither do you want to write so niche that you limit your audience to a very small subset of consumers. Instead, determine significant characteristics of your ideal reader such as topics and themes of interest, their goals/obstacles, if they are familiar with your brand or your competitors, etc.
Write an Outline
An outline is the perfect opportunity to arrange your research or details into a logical order, creating a coherent structure for your information and directing the flow. The best part about using an outline is that you’re instantly rewarded for the time it takes to put it together. Moreover, it provides an organized structure for fine-tuning your main content point: the question of “what’s in it for me” (WIIFM) for your audience?
Hook the Reader
According to Nielsen Norman Group, nearly 60% of page-viewing is done “above the fold” (before you scroll an article), meaning that you don’t have a lot of time to grab your reader’s attention. Create engagement from the outset by jumping straight into the content promised by your headline. Parcel out information in such a way that you pique readers’ curiosity and give them a reason to care and read on. This is probably the most challenging step in creating an effective hook, so put time into addressing their specific needs.
Make it Actionable
The goal of any content production should be sharing valuable information with your prospects. The more they see your organization as an authority that shares important, relevant information, the more they will trust and return to you for future help or guidance. Use specific, actionable tips to lay out exactly what readers must do to achieve the goals or outcomes you discuss. And be sure to use images, screenshots, video or other visuals to help “show” the story
The Key Takeaway
If you take away anything from this post, let it be this: be clear, be specific and be audience focused. If you are writing for and about their needs, you will find yourself well on your way to capturing their loyalty. And what more can you ask for than that?