Here’s all you need to know for writing kick-ass content

The digital world is full of content. No matter where you look, you will find that each and every thing that you consume over the internet is a type of content. With so much of content available, it is very important to have a content writing strategy.

When it comes to writing content online, the first thought that comes to the mind is – How to write content that is loved by all?

All of us want our content to resonate with our audience. We want our content to be liked, shared, and subscribed.

In simple words, we want our content to be “Viral”.

Today I am going to answer just that. So, without further ado, let us find out all that is to know about writing kick-ass content (You can thank me later ;))

Content Writing 101 – Strategize before you write

As I iterated in my last post, content writing takes time.

Treating content writing as anything less than a business strategy would be a mistake. Content can make or break a brand so it is very important for the writer to understand that like any other business decision, content also needs to have a strategy.

As you can see above, there are primarily three steps involved while creating content. While the infographic says it all, let us delve a little deeper and understand how to put these steps into action.

Research

The first thing to do before you start writing is to research the topic you’re writing on.

A well-researched and factually correct content will always garner more response from the audience. It is because it provides them the one thing they are looking for – “Value”.

Basic steps for conducting research

In order to conduct effective secondary research on your topic, follow the given steps:

I. Go through the requirements shared by your client and ensure that you’ve understood what they need. Get back to them with any doubts that you have so that you both are on the same page. Doing this ensures that there is less to-and-fro later on.

II. Once you’re clear with the objectives of the client, you should start searching and reading about it over the internet. Developing an understanding of the content that you’re going to write will help in providing a perspective to your writing and better engage with readers.

Another thing to keep in your mind is to search for reliable statistics. Everyone loves numbers and when presented well – they play an important role in making your content kick-ass.

Pro Tip: While researching about the topic, keep the word count of the content in your mind. The time spent in researching for the content should be proportional to the required word count. For example: You need not delve too deep into a topic if the requirement is to write 300 words. A basic understanding with some of the most important facts will be enough.

III. Once you have got everything you need, start building a framework for your content. There should be a definite flow to the content with well-defined sections, headers and sub-headers.

Captivating your reader’s attention is not an easy task. Hence, it is crucial to ensure that the flow of your content makes logical sense.

Want to know more about the importance of research in your content writing strategy? Click here.

Build

The next step to creating your content is to start writing. Now that you have the flow, the data and the understanding of the topic, you need to put that understanding into words.

Follow the framework created in the previous step and be sure to use catchy phrases and supplement your write-up with charts and infographics.

This ensures that you retain the attention of the reader. Write small, crisp and to the point sentences as these are more appealing to read.

Another important thing to take care of while writing is to ensure that the SEO guidelines are followed. Keywords make a crucial segment of your content writing strategy and must be carefully handled.

Keywords play a very important role in organic SEO and page ranking. Hence, as a writer you need to make sure that the keywords for the article are used naturally in the flow of the content.

Pro Tip: Do not add keywords just for the sake of it. The keywords should blend in naturally with the content and should not look forced. Be sure to keep that in mind as it destroys the readers experience if keywords come out of nowhere and feel out of place.

Deliver

The last step to writing content is delivery. While you must be wondering how delivery can be a step, but trust me it is the most crucial steps for becoming a successful content writer.

In order to create long standing relationships with your clients, you need to engage with them post delivery of the article as well. Take their feedback, incorporate any changes if required and take a final sign off to take the project to closure.

Doing this shows the client that you’re a professional and helps building sustainable relationship with them.

While this step might not be directly related to creating kick-ass content, but the feedback you get from the people you work with will surely help you learn and be better.

Pro Tip: While incorporating feedback, it is ok for you to make small changes to the article, do some restructuring etc. However, if the client asks you to do substantial re-work on the article, always ask for the reason. If the reason is justified, only then do those changes.

Otherwise, for adding extra content or changing it, you should always ask for extra payment since it will take time and effort. It is recommended to always have an agreement over this point before you start working for someone so that there is no issue later on.

And that is it guys… You now have a step by step guidance on how to create kick-ass content that your readers will like.

Always follow the given approach to ensure that your articles add value to the readers. Once you get used to this way of working, your writing will get noticed and you’ll be doling out viral content in no time.

Be sure to leave your feedback below or reach out to me via social media. Until next time – Stay home stay safe!!