Writing great content is perfect for creativity but writing content that also performs well is way more difficult. Not only should you be able to create an interesting piece of text, but you should also optimize it for search engines.
That being said, no matter how difficult it may seem at first, it is still possible. Hence, here’s the complete guide for writing content that performs well with steps you can follow to create the best piece of content yet.
#1 Start with Extensive Research
This goes without saying, but it’s still worth mentioning. Research is by far the most important step for you as a writer and content creator. Without doing proper research, you won’t be able to know your topic well. Consequently, you won’t be able to write well either.
In addition to that, research is needed to understand your target audience better. You probably already know what your brand is all about, but how well do you know your audience? You might even know who your customers are, but your readers could be a little different. After all, these are people who haven’t purchased from you yet which means you need to have a slightly different approach to your readers than you have to your customers.
#2 Make an Outline for Your Content
Once you’ve completed all the necessary research, you need to make an outline for your content. Keep in mind that outlining is not just another unnecessary step you can skip if you want to. Having an outline is like having the skeleton of your text. And when you have a skeleton, it will be much easier to grow all the other parts onto it.
Outlining is also a way for you to structure your text and to have an idea of the way you will be formatting it afterward. You can’t just have a single block of text with occasional paragraph breaks – you need subheadings, bullet-point lists, an introduction, and a conclusion. It’s all very simple to plan and it doesn’t take a lot of time.
#3 Narrow Down Your Focus
One big mistake writers often make is something that comes from good intentions. They want to say a lot, but this ends up in them talking about everything and nothing at the same time. As experts from the top writers list explain, “When your topic is too generic, you risk being too vague with your message and your writing can become unfocused.”
This is exactly why you need to narrow down your focus. What exactly do you want to talk about? Is it matte lipstick or gloss? Is it rottweilers or dalmatians? If you like both topics, write two different pieces. After all, the more (high-quality) content you have to publish, the better.
#4 Hook Readers with Your Headlines
When it comes to writing quality content that performs well, it’s never just about the article itself. There are other elements of this text that you should work on to make it appealing to your audience. And the first thing your potential readers will see is your headline – that’s what you should hook them with.
A good headline is one that is eye-catching without being clickbait. Use vivid, descriptive words, but avoid too specific jargon and buzzwords. Use numbers and consider wording your headline as a question. Tease a small piece of information in your title and then expand on it in your introduction and throughout the text.
#5 Always Provide Real Value
Though this is somewhat of a general tip, it’s still one that you should always remember. Value – this is what your readers are looking for. They won’t continue reading your content if they see that there is no use in it for them. Depending on the purpose of your content, you could be providing value in different ways.
The most common way is offering useful information. This is usually done with educational or informative content. Another way is offering entertainment. This is content that is usually humorous. The two can be combined, but whatever is your case, you should always keep in mind the purpose of your text to provide value the right way.
#6 Use Your Unique Brand Voice
When writing your content, it’s absolutely essential to remember to use your unique brand voice. This is a way for you to stand out from the crowd as well as make your content more memorable to your readers.
As experts from the paper writing services review sites put it, “Your unique brand voice helps you bring out your brand’s personality to humanize it a bit. You could be friendly and casual, professional and serious, edgy and sarcastic, or anything else you choose.”
#7 Supplement Text with Visuals
As mentioned earlier, your content is not just the text itself and has many elements that you need to work on. For instance, your visuals play a huge role in making your content more appealing and entertaining.
The visuals you use can be anything from images to photographs to videos to GIFs to infographics to diagrams and more. Even a single image can bring some variety to your text, so don’t be afraid to use what you have (even if it doesn’t seem like much).
#8 Optimize for Search Engines
Search engine optimization is not just a single task, so there is a lot to be said about it. But to put it shortly, here are the basics of SEO:
- Use relevant keywords in your headline, text, and meta descriptions.
- Optimize the visuals you use (e.g. add alt tags to images).
- Include internal and external links from and to your content.
- Enable buttons for social media sharing to make the content more accessible.
#9 Proofread and Edit Before Posting
Last but not least, you should always proofread and edit your content before actually posting it. You don’t want to be publishing your content with grammatical inconsistencies or factual errors.
You don’t even need to do all that much – just run your content through a grammar checker like Grammarly. Then, read it yourself or hire an editor to give it another look. This way, you will be sure that everything is just the way it should be.
Final Thoughts
All in all, writing great content that performs well is ultimately a matter of practice. The more you practice, the better you become at writing and the better your content becomes. But to get started, you should still use the tips in this article. They will help you build a skillset for writing good content that you will then improve with practice.
