Writing good content is more than putting pen and paper.
A content marketing strategy is about writing good content that inspires, provokes action and promotes brand awareness. The necessary ingredients for a well-written piece of content includes everything from the headline, the body of writing, images and the call to action. So whether you’re writing blogs, e-newsletters or even writing a Facebook post, there is a method behind writing good content.
Here are some things to think about for each item of content your brand creates.
First, figure out what you are writing about based on what your target audience wants to read. Find your focus and begin the research process. Organize and refine your ideas in an outline. Start writing a draft, knowing it may change later. If and when writers block appears, take a few minutes and step away. Then, take some time to review and redraft your work, and when it comes time to editing, be as thorough as possible. Have a co-worker give your writing a second read, as two sets of eyes and edits are better than one.
Once you have a quality draft, ask yourself one very important question: where’s the call-to-action? A CTA is perhaps the most essential feature your brand can use to engage your audience. As content creators, we want our readers to engage with our writing, taking action that will provide business for our clients. Whether the CTA is a request for a share or follow, link to blog or even link to a newsletter signup, it’s important to write your simple CTA based on your goals. Make it a short, actionable item and be strategic in where you place it - towards the beginning, middle or most commonly, in the last paragraph of your content. To take your CTA one step further, consider testing two different locations to find out which CTA provides the most engagement.
Then find a visual element to include, from a custom graphic, photo or product image. Along with the headline, the image will most likely be the first thing your reader sees, so better to show them a great photo that will entice them to read your content. Don’t just pick the first dazzling photo you see, instead take the time to find an image that will do your writing justice. The image should be relevant, authentic, inspiring and unique. Once you find the image that works, ensure the image will display properly across all screen sizes: mobile, social, on your blog and in your newsletter. The only thing worse than an irrelevant image is a pixelated image.
So, you’ve got your content written, edited and photos attached. What’s the last piece of advice we can give you? Watch the word count. With good content comes great responsibility, so try not to ramble. We suggest keeping the word count between 300 and 400 words. Well-written content with clear objectives, solid research, optimized headlines and relevant imagery will speak for itself.
Yakkety Yak is a full-service content marketing agency with professional writers and marketers on board to help you create, optimize and distribute custom written content to your audience. The goal is to build a network of relevant consumers, help you generate leads for your business and to learn how to say what you want to say even better. Need help getting started?