Most people think writing content is easy until it doesn’t bring business results. It’s a well-known fact that in today’s digital space, written content is one of the most widely used content types. Even then, 1 in 3 marketers admits that it is not so effective and does not fetch the desired results.
This essentially means that while content is important, it’s not doing what it should because it is not well-written. The good news is that you can improve your content writing skills with some practice and study. Below we have discussed the 10 content writing tips to enhance your content development.
1. Craft a Compelling Headline
Headlines have a lot of heavy lifting to do. Not many people will continue to read the rest of the article without a compelling headline. A strong headline attracts the reader and tells them the article contains something of their interest.
It gives them some detail of the content but not all. To get your reader to read your content, your headline should be approximately 65 characters, according to a BuzzSumo analysis of 100 million headlines on Facebook and Twitter. Apart from the headline’s length, the words are also important. Readers are most likely drawn to phrases like “Find out the top 10” and “why you should” that will teach them something new.
2. Hook Readers with an Interesting Intro
Congratulations if you have successfully compelled a reader to read your content. However, now you need to persuade them to keep going. Most readers leave the page after reading just the first few words of the introduction. The reason is that you haven’t grabbed their attention immediately.
An interesting intro will prompt your reader to continue reading, and that’s done by jumping straight to the point mentioned in the headline. Use the first few lines to hook your reader and let them know you understand their challenge and how you will help them.
3. Write For Your Audience
After you have crafted a compelling headline and grabbed your reader’s attention in the introduction, you need to write content with your specific audience in mind. That’s a mistake most people end up making when creating written content for their business.
Good content is written for the target audience and not for everyone. Knowing who your audience is and what interests them will help you to speak directly to them and connect better with them. When you’re touching their pain points, chances are they’re more likely to continue reading what you have to say.
4. Narrow Your Article’s Focus
Another ingredient for writing great content that brings results is having coherence in your content. If you’re writing an article, it should convey a clear idea that flows naturally from the headline to the conclusion.
You shouldn’t try to cover every point in one article. Rather focus on a few main points and keep the focus as straight as possible. Try to craft as specific content as possible, allowing you to include logical arguments and advice relevant to your intended audience. Narrowing your article’s focus will also help you provide value-added content.
5. Be Engaging
After the first few basic checks come the real deal: writing content that engages the reader. If it
doesn’t hold their attention, they will bounce. So how do you create engaging content? While
there are a few rules to follow, which include writing short and crisp sentences, using easy
language, and adding facts to back your content, another thing is extremely important to write
engaging content.
You should use the specific language your target audience will understand and appreciate. This means
oversimplifying your writing or overcomplicating it will not yield the desired results.
6. Write In Your Unique Brand Voice
Your unique brand voice includes the style and tone of your content, including the words you use to
connect with your target audience. This is figured out once you understand the target audience that
you are speaking to. However, if you have different people on your team, you should clarify the
brand voice with them through an easily accessible document.
This document should mention the brand’s mission and core values, a description of the target
audience and how they speak, your ideal relationship with them, and some examples of specific words
and phrases that should be used and those that should be avoided.
7. Provide Knowledge That Readers Want
Among other content writing tips to write effective content, it is extremely important to give information to your readers that they are looking for. Imagine opening this article to find tips to write great content but finding information on how to make a good video.
You also wouldn’t like it if the article only talked about the importance of great content but didn’t really share any tips, as mentioned in the headline. Therefore, it is necessary to figure out your reader’s intent through keyword research before you start creating written content. A good way to do that is by using a tool to find commonly asked questions and then craft content around it.
8. Use an Outline
Writing great content takes some time, and that includes conducting research. Once you have figured out what your readers want to read, you can begin by creating an online. You can write well-structured and useful articles that deliver value by outlining your content. This will help you establish your authority in your niche and compel readers to keep coming back to you for the specific information they’re searching for.
9. Include Actionable Tips
The goal of any content should be to deliver something of value to the readers. That way, the chances of them returning are higher. If they like your content, they will also share it on their socials, giving you reach. Alternatively, they might subscribe to your newsletter or sign up for other offers you extend.
Creating valuable content is key, and you can do it by giving them actionable tips to tell them how to do what you’re asking them to do. By spelling everything out to your reader, you can better appeal to them as you are helping them get out of their problem. To do this well, start with writing what you know best and include step-by-step instructions or tips to tackle their problems.
10. Add Trust Factors
Writing content that stands out from the crowd is essential, and one way to do that is by creating trust with your readers. There’s a lot of content on any subject or niche on the internet, so why would a reader read yours?
To make your content trustworthy, make sure it is authoritative and well-researched. If you are a well-known name in your industry, it is easier to establish trust as your readers already know you. However, if you are new, you can add trust factors to your content by linking to authoritative sources and getting high authority sites to link to your content.
Conclusion
Good content is key to connecting with your readers and influencing them to take the desired action.
It begins with researching your target audience and understanding user intent. Without that, you
can’t craft great content. Take your audience as the starting point of every content you write
and see the difference it creates.