Essential Tips for Effective Content Writing

What no one tells you about content

Let’s begin with a tale of how the internet works. How do we get the answers to our questions? By searching the Internet of course. Most of us (90%) turn to Google however we shouldn’t forget Bing, Yahoo, and other search engines.

For this story, I’ll stick with Google as the main character. Now earlier on I mentioned Google is one of the librarians of the Internet. Imagine this, you go into the online library (WWW) and start typing phrases and keywords to get answers to your questions. Google wants to remain the number one librarian (search engine), so he sends his team off to look for the best match to your enquiry.

Bear with me, we’re just coming to the good part!

If your business has a large shelf of content with relevant answers, is local and seen as valuable, then you’ll organically improve your chances of appearing in searches. But wait! You say you already have a website with content describing your company and its products? Yes, that’s true, but your website is only one source of information, think of it as your online shop where you need to keep updating the window display to keep customers interested.

So now I hear you saying, “I don’t have time to write lots of content.”

What if I told you there is a simple method of repurposing content, freeing up your time to get on with running your business!

So how much content do you need and how often?

You need to have a pretty large library of content that’s valuable enough for Google to cite. That means the more high quality content you write, the higher your domain authority and the easier it is to rank for highly competitive keywords. As far as cost goes, you don’t have to spend a cent when you use these organic tips.

What types of content should you create and how much?

• Website Content: 300 – 500 words per page (ideally)
• Google Business Posts: 1500 characters
• Blogs/News: 500 words or more, ideally 1500 – 2000
• Social Media: This depends on the platform
• Videos/Podcasts: I prefer short, sharp and easy to follow
• Email Newsletters: A catchy headline, an engaging introduction and a link to your website to learn more

How often should you create content?

This depends on the type of content. I try to write at least two blog posts a month. If you can write one per week even better. If you only have time for one, that’s better than nothing at all!

Before I move on, I just want to mention website content. You should review and update your content regularly. Make sure you have at least 300 – 500 words on your main pages (especially the home page). Oh, and don’t forget to add links to other pages as this helps Google to see you have more to say on another page.

I could go on about Search Engine Optimisation for a while at this point, but as this is an article on content I will stick to the storyline.

Now for the fun…

Getting over writer’s block!

So, we’re ready to start writing, we open a new page, and then spend the next 30 minutes staring at a bare white space deciding where to begin.

I start with a master content planner. I plan by month so I suppose you could call it a calendar. I choose relevant themes based on months of the year and then use one of my topic ideas to get me started.

When it comes to topic ideas, that’s the easy part – I have this foolproof list. Once you start writing you’ll find it becomes easier and easier.

How to create written content

The buying cycle of a typical customer can be broken down into three main stages: Awareness, Consideration and Decision. During each stage, the customer will go through a different buying process. Therefore, your content should be crafted in such a way that it captures the attention of the customer at each stage of the buying process.

I like to think of blogging as answering your target audiences’ questions, so I think what does my audience need help with at each stage of the buying cycle?

Now we need a layout that’s simple and effective. Follow my tips below and keep your sentences and paragraphs short.

HEADLINE

Start your title with something catchy. Over 60% of readers don’t read past a headline. Make the problem you’re addressing clear and use simple phrasing.

INTRODUCTION

Explain what you’re trying to solve and summarise the solution.

BODY    

Give each stage of your blog its own header. You can also use bullets or numbers to break up content. Always include links so your audience can read more.

CONCLUSION

Suggest the next steps they should take and add links to learn more. Don’t forget to include a call to action here along with social media sharing icons.

Oh, and don’t forget your keywords. Stick to a main keyword theme and try not to go off on a tangent. I recommend using answerthepublic.com to discover keywords and phrases that are being asked on Google.

Focus on what you want the outcome to be

Most business owners get so caught up in the how of creation, they forget the why. Why are you creating this content? What’s the outcome you want? Do you just want people to read it? To click on the link? To buy something? Whatever the outcome, make sure it’s crystal clear in your mind before you get started. If it isn’t, you could end up spending a lot of time creating content that doesn’t serve a useful purpose.

Manage your content closely

Don’t forget to monitor your content closely. This means weeding out content that doesn’t bring in website traffic, conversions and leads. This content should be revised and revisited to see why they weren’t as effective as expected. From there, you can see how you can improve your content and brand to appeal more closely to what your ideal clients are looking for and need from your business.

Sarah is a marketing strategy expert and one of our Digital Solutions advisors. Learn more about the program and how it can help your business here. 

Looking to improve your content writing strategies? Book in for a free 15-minute consultation with Sarah here.