Content marketing is the new go-to strategy for any company online, but with 7.5 million blog posts happening daily, it can be hard for your content to get a foothold. How do you keep your content creative? A post’s popularity is determined not just by how many hits it gets, but how many people then share that link amongst their own network and how many new readers come see the post because of that link sharing. With so much content available, readers are only going to share posts they truly enjoy — so how do you make sure yours is one of them?
The Basics of a Content Post
Your content needs to be well-designed, well-written, and well-edited.
Design: You’ve chosen a topic to write about, and have decided on a unique take you’re going to present in your work. Most people search out content because they have a problem they need to solve or a question that needs answered; make sure your article is designed to capture that transformation. Choosing a theme for your blog and a topic for each post is absolutely key to your success as a content creator.
Writing: Articles that are poorly written - typos, awkward sentences, confusing phrasings - aren’t going to get any traction online. Make sure your content creator follows appropriate grammar rules and can create posts that are clear and concise.
Editing: In addition to providing a double-check on your written content, an editor is the one preparing the content to be posted. Coding and formatting mistakes can make your content inaccessible, even if it’s great quality. Accessibility also involves the use of proper keywords and SEO to make sure your article appears as an option when readers pose a query to a search engine.
These three fundamental points work together to strengthen your content. Providing your audience with well-written content that contains unique, useful information is the best way to keep them both sharing and coming back.
The Mechanics of a Content Post
Content posts aren’t just about the words — there are formatting tips and tricks you can use to help draw people in. 8 out of 10 visitors will read your headline, but only 2 out of that 10 will continue on to read the rest of the article. A BuzzSumo study found peak engagement with articles whose titles were between 9 and 13 words long (between 60 and 75 characters), which is your best starting point for a title that encourages people to keep reading.
Since most people will scroll an article first before committing to it, you want to make it easy for them to find your most interesting information. Proper formatting will help draw out the key points of your content.
Design subheadings for your piece that will make the value clear to a skimming reader. One or two paragraphs per subheading is standard.
Use images or graphs to illustrate points and keep the reader’s visual interest focused on your page. Images should have captions and descriptions for users who use screen reading software, too.
Video and audio don’t just add additional ways to enjoy content; they can also help extend your reach to users with disabilities who are still looking to engage.
Properly used paragraph breaks will keep your ideas from feeling cluttered. Visual space helps keep readers focused on your piece.
Mastering these mechanics will make your content more approachable and should encourage people to keep scrolling through your post. When combined with a strong foundation in the fundamentals, these formatting tools will help your content stand out.
Adding The Personal Touch
The points listed above are popular because they work — and most successful content creators and creative content companies follow them. It’s important to think about what you’re going to use to stand apart from the crowd. Finding your brand, voice, or style is the real key to creating content people will love, because it will stand out from content that feels generated. What will be unique in the content you create?
Humor can turn even the most boring topic into engaging content, and people love to share funny content with their friends. If you can work your sense of humor into your writing, you and your readers will both benefit.
Likewise, writing from a place of strong emotion adds nuance to your article readers won’t be able to get anywhere else. Write about something you’re passionate about. If something makes you particularly happy - or sad, or angry - let that come out in your writing. It’ll engage readers on an entirely new level.
Personalizing your content can feel scary, but readers like to know there’s a real person behind the work. This doesn’t work in every blog setting, but when it’s appropriate, sharing relevant experiences will help your readers bond with your words.
The strength of your content depends on your ability to combine these tools into something unique, engaging, and high-quality. With practice and research, you’ll soon be putting out the kind of posts everyone loves to share.
For those who need further assistance, a dedicated team of experts is available to you. We're a creative content marketing agency ready to help. Contact Wordsmyth Creative Content Marketing today for help with your creative content writing needs.
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