With More than a billion Websites Across the World Wide Web, it is not difficult to understand that it is difficult to distinguish between them.
That’s why the best content on the web should be well-written, well-researched, and compelling to read, no matter what topic is covered.
And this is not always – or rarely – an easy task. But breaking down this tedious task into more clear steps makes the task much easier.
Content creation—not just blogging—must start with planning. This is often the difference between mediocre and excellent content.
To illustrate that plan, use these 6 steps to content creation success and ensure that what you and your brand post can easily be found and absorbed by the right people at the right time.
Not only will readers respect this content and the brand behind it, they will look up to that content and hold the brand in high esteem.
Offering something of value (quality content) to the people who matter most to your business (customers) is a no-brainer and a winning long-term strategy that pays big.
Doing so is also the natural way to build authority through your entity (brand, person, etc.) to readers and search engines like Google.
1. Know the brand you represent
There cannot be enough focus on this.
Too often, when writing on behalf of a brand or company, writers forget (or never consider) the overall brand voice and tone.
This is a critical component to success in terms of consistency, design, and messaging.
You want to make sure that all of this is in line with the brand’s overall guidelines and overall brand image.
Larger, well-established brands usually have guidelines that should include the voice and tone of the brand.
But even when formal branding guidelines aren’t available, there are still many ways you can better understand a brand, its voice and tone, and overall message with goals in mind.
sead old blogs by brand
A good starting point is to go back and read the older blog content posted by the brand.
Depending on how long a brand has been creating well-developed, high-quality content, you can deeply understand the overall style and voice of the brand.
Work to recreate that with your piercing spin.
Proofread the content (or an edited version shorter than one)
When you’re in a position to run a comprehensive content strategy or write content consistently for the same brand, it’s probably worth a writer or content strategist’s time to do a partial content audit.
This will help you get the best idea of not only the overall style and voice of the content but also the brand goals and determine what is working well in terms of traffic, engagement and performance (and what is not).
This will also help develop ideas for blog topics and identify content gaps.
Look at competitors
Another way to better understand which brand the writer represents – and what Not To be – is to look at some of the brand’s major competitors.
Competitors will likely publish their own high-quality content, but content produced on behalf of a competing brand like the one you represent must be unique to that brand.
This is one of the main ways brands can and are supposed to stand out. Use it to your advantage.
This is also a no-brainer when moving into a content role within a company or industry with which one may not be familiar.
You want to understand the brand you represent and its mission.
But it will also help you understand the brand’s key competitors, how they work to separate themselves from their competitors, and ways you can go beyond them in educating and enlightening potential customers.
2. Understand your audience
Understanding the audience you’re writing for goes hand in hand with knowing the brand you represent.
You cannot understand your audience without knowing the brand you are writing for.
You cannot publish quality content without fully understanding these important variables.
The above means to better understand both will help the brand’s overall content strategy and implementation.
Remember to use topics that interest your audience and vocabulary that makes sense to your audience.
3. Find topics to write about
For many, this may be one of the most challenging steps in the planning process. But it shouldn’t be.
As a writer representing a brand – a brand that is an authority on specific topics and industries – there will always be valuable insights to offer to existing and potential clients.
Think of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on many websites; It is built from topics/questions that are frequently asked over time by those interested in the brand and its business. These answers are searched through search engines thousands of times daily.
Giving people (correct) answers to their questions will always build trust in the brand and the writers who represent it.
competitive analysis
Aside from the frequently asked questions exercise to explore content ideas, writers should also rely on competitive analysis to develop more good topics to write about.
Some brands will do a decent job of covering many different topics in their industry. In contrast, other brands will do a better job of covering only specific areas within that industry that they may specialize in or have more experience with.
Use all of this research to build high-quality blog posts based on the abundance or lack thereof of quality content on specific issues.
Identify competitors’ content gaps as areas to focus on, gain market share from the competition, and stand out in areas other brands lack.
Analyzing your brand will likewise help you to identify where your brand is lacking as well.
Keyword search
Doing keyword research on topics and ideas helps writers develop keyword goals but also helps shape blog posts in terms of:
- Topics covered.
- Questions to be answered.
- The core elements of more in-depth issues have different layers and subtopics.
Over the past 10-15 years, many keyword research tools have appeared on the market to help content strategists discover topics.
In addition to traditional tools such as Google Keyword Planner (formerly Keyword Tool), Ubersuggest, Google Analytics, traditional Google autocomplete, and new and improved platforms like Semrush’s Keyword Magic Tool, Moz’s Keyword Explorer, and MarketMuse, to name a few, have had a huge impact on the content world.
Other, higher-cost but very powerful proprietary tools, such as Conductor and BrightEdge, deliver more content ideas and high-value keyword targets to help shape strategy, among other content marketing tools.
Make sure it’s fun
Most of all – and it may sound simple, but it’s often overlooked – make sure that the content you plan is interesting to the audience it’s being written for.
If you’re well versed in a brand and industry and don’t personally find a blog topic interesting, useful, or educational, the audience probably won’t think it is.
Write about interesting topics while offering expert opinions, feedback, and ideas.
The audience will reward it with confidence in the brand, its content and its message.
4. Do your research
Extensive research from trusted sources is the cornerstone of high-quality content.
Readers will be looking for expert opinions and analysis based on the research that has been done.
This allows writers and brands to stand out – realistic experience and deeper interpretation of sometimes complex situations.
But this research is critical to building authoritative content that will have a long-lasting impact.
As with all published content, verify and double-check all facts and properly provide proprietary information to its original publisher.
This can be done with outbound links, in line with SEO best practices.
5. Create a strong and attractive headline
Writing headlines is an art, especially in the age of the Internet.
Now, more than ever, humans are consuming huge amounts of information from everywhere.
Headlines have to be great to stand out.
Otherwise, the content will likely never be seen.
There are a variety of different approaches to take when developing a catchy and catchy headline that will grab the attention of your readers.
All addresses must be:
- They are directly related again to the content they represent.
- Be well written.
- It wasn’t long.
Some successful ways to create good titles include using formulas, title builders, and other creative ways to ensure that your readers are engaged with content tailored to them.
6. Consider visual content
Rich media will always help a blog post in terms of click-through rate and the overall likelihood that someone will be more enticed to click on it and learn more.
This also helps if heading writing isn’t your craft; A good visual usually attracts readers, and it is easier for the eyes to understand and retain visual elements than written words.
Know what works best for your content and your audience.
Next steps after preparing the blog post
Now is when the real action begins! Here are the steps you will need to take to turn your idea into a successful piece of content!
- Write it down!
- improve everything.
- Copy it, then copy and edit it again.
- Then have someone else copy it for you.
- Post it.
- Ensure that the post has visible social media sharing buttons and valid rich media previews.
- Q&A Live Blog Post your own.
- Ask a colleague to share the blog.
More resources:
- 13 essential elements of an exceptional blog post
- 6 reasons why blogging is important for marketing and search engine optimization
- Completely optimized content from start to finish
Featured image: puhhha / Shutterstock
