4 tips for writing top content
Content is king. It's the most important part of your marketing strategy and it's what keeps people coming back to your brand time and time again. You want to make sure it's not just engaging, but also informative and educational.
That’s easier said than done though, and it shows. Lots of digital content is poorly researched, full of vague points or lacking a cohesive structure. If you want your content to stand out from the crowd and actually inform, educate and inspire – without being boring – you need to do some prep work before you start writing. Here are four tips for writing pragmatic content.
1. Start with the end in mind
First things first: know what you want your readers to do once they've read the piece. Do you want them to buy something? Do you want them to share it with their friends? Do you simply want them to be inspired by what you said? Whatever it is, think about how your readers will benefit from reading your piece – and then write accordingly.
Take this piece from sustainable fashion house Everlane. The friendly advice about winter fashion trends tastefully props up the sentiment of the article: here’s what to wear this season, we have it in stock, buy it from us.
2. Be concise
If there's one thing we all know about good writing, it's that less is usually more. Don't write things in excess; use only as much detail as necessary to get the point across – especially important on social media.
Wondering who does this well? Look no further than meditation and wellness company Headspace, whose approach to LinkedIn personifies “less is more”.
3. Get clear about your focus
You don't want to give your audience a case of information overload. Instead, you want them to come away from your post with something they can use right away – whether it's a new way of thinking about something or a specific piece of information they can apply in their day-to-day lives. Don’t fall into the trap of trying to cover every nuance or angle in one article – focus on what’s important and make use of links and media.
Remember, if it feels like a slog to read, your audience won’t be getting very far.
Our very own Ed Brydon is crystal clear about the remit of this article extolling the benefits of repetition – it’s right there in the title.
4. Use active language
An active voice makes content more engaging for readers. It puts them in control of the story. A passive voice can make text feel distant or impersonal, which is the last thing you want associated with your brand. You want to use active language to lend weight and authenticity to your statements, as demonstrated in this article from Booking.com.
Creating digital content that makes an impact is hard. You shouldn’t expect to get it right on the first go, but keep trying and learn from any flops so that you can become a content-creating machine.
If you’re still on the road to mastering digital content and need an extra hand then you’re in the right place. Our team has decades of cumulative experience that allows us to produce high quality digital content at scale. Have we piqued your interest? Then get in touch with us today.