HOW TO CREATE GREAT CONTENT?
The first and the most often answer to this question is: make your content original. Ideally, great content is original content or something that has never been posted online. Haa… Does that sound a bit like reinventing the wheel?
In reality, the process of finding content that is original by definition is very rare. Thus, this endeavor, in a large number of cases, comes down to writing and publishing recycled texts, different reviews of topics that have already been covered, etc. Hence, you essentially need a good writer, someone who can put together a good story, or (in the worst case) a top compiler.
TRUTH IS: being original is a bit overrated. But… SINCE YOU ARE NOT ORIGINAL – BE AUTHENTIC
Authenticity is a very elusive and intangible concept. In business, it is possible to develop it or to simulate it. In life, an authentic person can be recognized almost immediately.
However, business authenticity is based on:
- Empathy
- Honesty
- Quality
- Good Story
SO, BEFORE YOU START WRITING Do think about our suggestions on which tools of a trade you need to have to start creating authentic content that has value.
- READ! – Read good, useful content, news, blogs, articles… Read aloud if you can! Aside from being well-informed and read, regular reading will brush up the flow of both your thoughts and words.
- WRITE down ideas that come to your mind. – Don’t exclude ideas from the start. Jot down everything, no matter where the inspiration came from. Return to it after some time, and reconsider it. Look at them or read again, rephrase, redesign, reinvent, adapt some things! It may turn out to be exactly the type of idea, the start you needed.
- KEEP EXPLORING – Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back. For us, research mode is the essential part of the creation in the process.
If followed, this advice can make your mind faster, your content more interesting, and more observant – the rest is up to you. So now, let’s…
START CREATING
Humanize your content
Be it: written content, e-books, images, video forms, testimonials, or reviews – know your audience. Get out of your flow of thoughts, and search for another approach to the subject you’re thinking about. A good way to find out if your content is human-centered is to let someone review it – a friend, colleague, family member, reader, mentor … Honest insight can be priceless for your content upgrade. Don’t forget that two/three heads are always smarter than one.
Create a Killer Headline
In writing, a great headline and a strong introduction can engage more than your targeted audience. Statistically: • 80% of people read just your headlines, and • only 20% of those people will read the rest of your content! Use your witts and keep the customers reading. How? Here’s one way of doing it:
Answer their questions
Answer them with valuable links, pictures, videos, freebies, and instructions. To know which questions need to be answered you have to return to the Start position we talked about: READ (listen), EXPLORE and WRITE IDEAS DOWN. If you can’t start with a question, you can let your audience solve their problem by creating:
A great: HOW TO PIECE
Provide your users/clients with the material that gives them instructions or tips on how to apply what you’re offering or selling, on their own. Give them honest advice, a starting point, and the excitement that THEY CAN do it. Include them in the solution, earn their trust, and…
Be personal
Thanks to social media, people want to know YOU better. Not only your products. They want to meet the salesman, the team, to learn the story, goals, and purpose behind your business. Not unlike real life – if you want engagement and personal contact – make a move. Share, answer, listen, be present and insightful, and the people will respond.
Keep your content as your website – updated.
So, to address the RECYCLED content once again. YES, recycling can be a part of your creating content but it needs to be done with a purpose. Make it new, fresh, different, exciting – worthy of reading. . If you think you have valuable content: Read it, use it, brush it up, REPURPOSE IT.
Remember EMPATHY AND HONESTY?
By definition, empathy is an innate ability to understand and feel the emotions and needs of other people. It goes hand in hand with being personal and honest about what you do. Building trust in your online community and amongst your customers can be done only with these two elements.
Always have in mind neuroscience:
PEOPLE BUY WITH EMOTIONS AND JUSTIFY WITH LOGIC.
Make your content noticeable, worthy and logical. Appeal to people’s minds and intuition and you’ll have their attention and a valuable army of customers.