Life is a series of choices. Your results are entirely dependent on your choices. Writing good content that will keep your readers engaged is a choice. And so is taking the easy path and writing low-quality content. Taking the easy path not only decelerates your progress but also wastes your time and energy in the long run.
The path to becoming a successful content creator and marketer is clear. To boost your rankings and increase traffic, you have to have great content on your website or blog. Search engines like Google reward content writers who post valuable and original content.
Therefore, regardless of the reason you have a site or a blog, it’s important to do things the right way. Today, we are going to discuss the ten proven tips that will transform your content into great works of art. Let’s get started!
1. Original contents works
Original content is highly valuable on the internet today. As we’ve said earlier, Google will punish you for copying other people’s work by lowering your rank and making it harder for your readers to find you.
Originality means coming up with new ideas. Refreshing the same ideas and posts over and over again will result in failure because no one will link to them. And this defeats the aim of creating content in the first place.
If you can’t come up with fresh ideas, consider hiring someone who can. Working with other writers will inspire you to come up with brilliant ideas that will improve your site’s performance. If you are going to hire keep in mind that you’ll get what you pay for.
2. Create strong headlines
What determines whether your readers are going to open your site or content? Headlines! A good headline can capture your readers’ attention and ignite their interest. On the other hand, a weak deadline will push them away even if your content is great/. According to Copyblogger, eighty percent of your readers will read headlines while only twenty percent will read your content.
You can persuade your readers to stay engaged with your content by coming up with questions or using emojis or enticing statements. All these techniques need to evoke curiosity and persuade people to take a look.
Take your time when creating headlines. Come up with a few and choose the best option. Your headlines will determine whether your audience read your content or not. The last thing you want is to publish great content that never gets read because of weak headlines.
3. Write for skimmers
As professional writer service reports, the majority of people who will visit your site or read your posts will be skimmers. Everyone skims before he or she decides to read. Skimming allows readers to look for important details that will solve their problems or improve their lives in some way.
As a content creator, you can adapt by writing for skimmers by:
- Dividing your posts with headings and subheadings
- Underlining relevant and valuable information
- Using bullet lists or tables
- Using whitespace to distinguish parts of the post
- Using different colors to emphasize important points
4. Focus on the valuable information
Among the most important rules of content creation is focusing on the most important and valuable information. The better you present your points from the beginning to the end of your post, the more engaged your readers will be. You need to use the criteria of 5WH questions when writing your post (where, why, what, when, and how)
By following this criterion, you’ll ensure that your audience gets the entire picture without missing crucial information.
5. Use your keywords
The use of keywords is crucial to your success as a content writer. More than ninety percent of your entire online traffic will be generated by search engines that use keywords. Therefore, it’s important to include them throughout the entire post.
It is one of the easiest and best ways to maximize your visibility and enable search engines and your audience to find you. There are a variety of online apps and tools such as Google Keyword Planner that will help you discover the best phrases and terms for your articles.
6. Update your content regularly
It’s never too late to evaluate and adjust your content marketing strategies if things aren’t working out. If you’ve been writing for a while, now is a great time to update your content in ways that will increase traffic.
Updating your content does not just include the format but also the topics that will be the foundation of your site or blog. For instance, if you’re building a health and fitness blog, the pillars of your content can be:
- Health and fitness tips and hacks
- Interviews or stories about people who have succeeded in the area
- Trends in the industry
- Health and fitness basics
If you have published content, check and see if it fits with your marketing plan. You can either change, update or delete it.
7. Avoid common mistakes
What are some of the common mistakes that make your posts less interesting and hard to read? First, spelling and grammatical errors. You should never publish your first draft. You have to proofread at least three times before thinking of publishing.
Spelling and grammatical errors will frustrate and irritate your readers. The second is using long paragraphs and sentences. Long sentences and paragraphs will chase away your readers. Last, is using vague or heavy jargon. Avoid using them completely and adopt a simple writing style. Remember, no one is going to complain because you used simple words.
8. Include visual effects
As the popular saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. Adding visual content will make your content attractive, appealing, and easier to consume.
Studies have shown that blog posts with pictures have a ninety percent chance of getting viewed than those without. The internet is filled with pictures, GIFs, and animations therefore, don’t be afraid to add them.
9. Include a Call to Action
What do you want your readers to do after reading your posts? Including a call to action ensures that your readers follow your recommendations instead of leaving your site. A call to action should be engaging and related to your post.
10. Use social media platforms
Marketing has been made easier today thanks to the rapid advancement of technology. The majority of your audience has social media accounts. Therefore, the easiest way to reach them is by creating a social media strategy. You can start a conversation related to your content or ask your followers to subscribe or click a link.
Conclusion
Creating great content is easy so long as you stick to the proven tips and principles that we’ve discussed. Avoid using shortcuts or coming up with easy ways to get you to want quickly. In our world, you can’t be successful by taking advantage of others.
Bio
James Murphy is a full-time content creator from New York. James writes about a wide range of topics like digital marketing and social media. James is a father of two lovely children and a dedicated supporter of the New York Yankees.
