Learn to research your content with Megha Khandelwal

As we have outlined in our mantra the importance of content collation before writing, we would like to start our expert chats on the same topic i.e. How to best research your content.

Research is something that many content writers ignore. They check a couple of websites on Google and rely on that information to create their articles.

However, we believe that when you write, it is very important to research on the topic, trends, and facts. This helps you provide value to the readers.

To shed some more light on the importance of research in content writing, we have with us – Megha Khandelwal.

Megha is a Research Analyst with a leading KPO based out of Gurgaon. She provides research, competitive intelligence, and business consulting support to clients across many business verticals and has first-hand experience with how research alters the quality of content they present to their clients.

So, without further ado, here is what Megha had to say when we asked her about “Research in content writing”.

How important do you feel research is for content writing?

Research is undoubtedly the foundation of every content piece. I mean, who does not like to read a well-researched content which talks about facts and interesting information.

When digital businesses post content about their products and services, it is of utmost importance that they know what they are talking about. Research helps in building domain authority. When you write content based on research, the readers know and acknowledge that you mean business.

Furthermore, the research adds value to your content and makes it more relevant to the readers. This makes them trust you and your content and trust is something that every business needs.

Hence, I feel that researching is in fact the first step towards credible content building.

I agree. So, moving on. According to you, what should be the research approach? Is there a fixed way to do that?

I would say that the research methodology depends on the type of information you are looking for and the topic itself. Usage of relevant keywords is a must and I recommend using Google advanced search feature while looking for information for your content piece.

Some websites specifically cover the latest happenings on a particular industry type. You should create a repository of such websites of the industry you cover the most.

There are topics where the facts, numbers, and statistics are important, while there are many wherein the experience of a veteran in that field would matter more.

That being said, I do have a basic structure of research that I like to follow. I always have a set of questions that need answering in the content and specifically look for the answers for them in the form of facts or statistics on Google.

So, my advice would be to jot down the questions that need to be answered in the article you are writing and then search for each question on Google. This will provide you with the exact information that you need.

Excellent. Makes sense. While I believe our readers will now understand the importance of research and how to go about it. My next question is – How deep the writer should go into researching the content?

There is no end to research. You can spend days reading answers to your one question. But you should know when to stop researching and giving the perfect shape to the gathered information in the form of words.

Basically, you get an understanding of a topic after reading from 4-5 different sources. After getting that basic understanding, delve deeper to understand the specific points that you have. Once you understand it and have enough information, start working on your structure and creating the article.

While creating content, you will come across gaps in your research and then you should go to Google again to collate the content only about the identified gaps.

Like I said before, you must have a set of questions that your content needs to answer. Once you have that, you should stop researching and start building.

Great. I am pretty sure our readers will take note of these points. However, this brings me to the next question. You say that the writer must have a set of questions that the content needs to answer. How important is communication with clients in this regard?

Well, this is as important as researching and then creating content. The client always has the benchmark of the content he needs, and it should be the first thing for the writer to understand that. The writer should be on the same page with the client when it comes to the quality of work.

To have the same kind of understanding, always set up a call with your client to understand his requirements. Ask questions that come up at the top of your head which shows the other person that you are understanding his requirements.

Post that, start working on your content and keep on sharing your work with the client on a rolling basis. So, if you follow this method, you keep on getting the client’s feedback then and there which streamlines your work.

I have seen a few cases where the client gets one deliverable and that is the final one at the end of the project completion.

Now, you see, if the client has a lot of feedback on that content piece of yours, it totally demands a rework, right? So, you will have to do the same work again and that too for the same price!

All of this rework could have been avoided, had you shared those drafted versions with them in between. So, in research, we follow the “agile methodology” to ensure such a scenario does not happen.

Any last words you have for our readers?

Yes. I think I still have two.

1. Always think that every client is important and provides them with the best quality work. This way you not only earn his/her trust, but you earn a recurring client who may get you some more business by referring you to others.
2. To all the budding or experienced writers, be open to feedback.

That’s it guys. We hope these insights by Megha will help you research your topics better. If you have any questions regarding the same, please contact us.

Until next time – stay tuned!