Small businesses with blogs get 126% higher lead growth than small businesses without blogs.
Great content writing can increase your search engine rankings and bring new customers to your site. It can also build strong relationships and trust with your existing customers. Well-researched articles can also boost your industry's perception of your company's clout.
How do you produce great content writing? You may be surprised at how well you can create it once you have mastered a few basics.
Let's get started.
This may be easier said than done. Usually, you will come up with ideas for a broad topic.
Do an engine search or read articles on authoritative sites to narrow it down. Search blogs for comments and find out what people want to know about. Read through social media photos and tweets and write down the types of posts people are interacting with.
Conduct interviews and find out what gets people excited or talking. Or check out the content on your competitor's sides for bigger topics you can create an original spin on.
If you are doing an analytics search using a technical program, look for topics that have a higher search volume but low competition. Work to build your backlink profile and domain authority before branching out.
If your topic interests you, it will interest your readers. See if you can create a unique angle that your experience speaks to. It should fit in well with the conversations already taking place online.
Let's say, for example, you are selling beauty products. You have found many authoritative articles on whether or not serums really work.
Your company may have sold serums to women in different age brackets. Interviewing them can give you great insights for an article on the benefits of serum at every phase of life.
Statistics, quotes, case studies, and original stories can add a lot of authority to your content and brand.
Some of the best online journalism gives first-hand investigative reporting. A primary source is an original source or statement.
When you are talking to an authority, get a quote. It is usually a good idea to cite his or her credentials in the article.
You can also collect original data through online tools such as Google Forms or Survey Monkey. This is also a great way to get the information you can use in graphs or other visual, easy-to-grasp graphics.
Secondary sources are books, articles, or blog posts that talk about primary sources in the area you are researching. They analyze and interpret data.
Secondary sources can be valuable because they can explain different positions or ideas about primary sources. When reading them, see if you can follow backlinks all the way to the primary source. You will want to use the most authoritative source possible.
Write down any ideas, insights, or quotes you get along the way. This makes the writing phase much easier.
A great headline will draw in your reader right away. Remember that lots of folks are scrolling through social media, but will only read a few blog posts. The right headline will make them want to read on.
Using numbers, and especially odd ones will let people know that your points will be easy to skim through. Choose one emotional adjective and let people know what they will learn.
Think about the kind of article you would read if you are a social media-skimmer. It should make you think about a problem or hope you have in a new and constructive light.
Your intro should hook the reader with an interesting quote, story, or statistic. Keep it simple and unique, as many readers will not read past your first paragraph if the writing is too complex.
Explain the point of your article, and avoid using cliches. Be sure that you can deliver on any information you promise to give.
Your body paragraphs should present information that backs up the point you made in your introduction. To keep readers engaged, use only a few sentences (less than four) for each paragraph. Keep sentences short and easy to follow.
That being said, the article itself can be longer, as longer content with more backlinks tends to fare better in Search Engine Optimization (SEO.)
Experiment with different font sizes and use elements such as highlighting bold headings, and caps.
Use visually attractive information such as infographics and colorful graphs. Content with lots of whitespaces will be clickable because it appears easier to read.
Be sure that your headlines succinctly communicate what each section is about. Those who are skimming to read your thoughts on certain points will want to be able to find them quickly.
Your conclusion paragraph should do more than sum up your main points. You may wish to ask a question or use a quotation. The best conclusions provide an uplifting takeaway that leaves readers ready for action.
Some writers include a call-to-action, which is designed to get an immediate response from your reader. They can bring readers back to your website and increase sales.
Fabulous, professional content writing will bring customers to your site with unique and powerful insights. With the right research and good organization, you could see your sales growing in no time.
For more information on using content to grow your business, join us today.
