Ronell shared five ingredients for creating quality content that stands out of the crowd. The ingredients were factors he observed while dealing with different clients. His advice will help you create better content...but he didn’t tell everything. There are things he missed, and this article will lay them out for you.
Creating powerful, winning content is not as difficult as you think. All you need is strategy, and a strong writing voice. There is a high volume of daily searches by people looking for solutions to problems, and content writing is held in high esteem. Without good content on your website, chances are it will be overlooked.
Different people use content differently. For example, content marketers use it to increase their SEO rankings, or grow traffic. Businesses use content to attract attention to their products. Irrespective of your goal, you need properly crafted content to get there. Here are the ingredients to keep in mind.
1. Write content around what you believe
Whatever you believe, value or what interests you, there are millions across the globe that will share those qualities with you. Thanks to the internet, you can share your ideas with them. When you write about your interests or beliefs, it is easier to own it. You will write freely without losing steam.
According to Ronell, the ideal should be finding the meeting point between what you have and what they need. Your writing will mean different things to different people, and you should not try so hard to please everyone. It is the key ingredient for dullness and mediocrity.
Sensitive writers are always afraid of chasing away their audience, but Ronell thinks otherwise. According to him, content writing should not be creative and the writer should not be afraid of chasing people away, because this will create room for those they want to come in.
2. The article must drive a point home
A lot of articles have nothing to say. They ramble for pages without delivering any point. When your article has a point, it leaves a mark in the minds of readers, and gives them a reason to come back.
When your writing moves your readers, they are more likely to comment and share the article. An article with a central point easily accomplishes its mission. When your articles have a point, it is easy to incorporate keywords in them.
3. Be genuine with your writing
Many people misunderstand the idea of revealing their personality using their content. They often see this as an opportunity to throw judgment and self-control away with the bath water.
According to Ronell, one of the saddest things is seeing professionals ruin their reputations on social media, or seeing someone with a superb talent but a bad attitude.
You do not have to be entirely sweet, but never present yourself as someone who is difficult to work with. But there is no specific definition of someone who is easy to work with, because different people have a different viewpoint. Some people work easily with those that are confrontational, or aggressive, or quiet.
4. Be selective about what you share
It is smart to share a bit of your personality online, but you shouldn’t share everything that comes to mind. "Every interesting personality is more of a persona," Ronell says. Some qualities are brought forward, while others are cut out. When too many elements are brought to the fore, it makes it hard for the audience to get a sense of who you are.
Select one or two elements and push them. When you select what you want to project, you have the benefit of protecting some of your privacy. Some things are better left in the background.
5. Pick your words wisely
If you take a close look at some of the great web personalities, you will discover they all have words they use often. “Mofo” is Joanna Wiebe’s favorite, Gary Vaynerchuk picks “hustle” while Luvvie Ajayi can be “judgey”.
You don’t necessarily need a “signature word”, but the words you use send different messages which are, in turn, interpreted differently. Your choice of words can be complex like Russell Brandy, or short and Anglo-Saxon like Hemingway. There is no one form of good writing, as there are lots of wonderful writers.
6. Produce original content
Content writing has grown over the years. Original content does not only stand out naturally, but it puts you on the good side of Google's ratings. When you copy content from other websites and paste it on yours, you will get the hammer of Google which can crush you with one swift blow.
For example, e-zine articles used to be at the top of Google’s page, but since Google updated their algorithm, they are nowhere to be found. When your ideas are original, they also get a lot of backlinks and referencing which improves your Google ranking.
As a rule of thumb, if you don’t have anything to say, it is better to say nothing. Also, if you realize that you get what you pay for, it will help you to remain in line. It strengthens you mentally to spend time researching what you want to write.
7. Your conversation should be engaging
Conversation is the baseline of most content writing. Check out a website like SorryWatch to find examples of creating quirky conversations. One of the ways you can spot a weird conversation is to read it aloud.
Bear in mind that conversations are not monologues. There should be a space in the paragraph where your audience’s words can come in. These can come in the form of comments, testimonials, or case studies. You can learn a lot of good things from your audience.
8. What you say and how you say it matters
When you are applying for the Certified Content Marketers, one of the qualities the judges want to see is an authoritative but conventional voice. You also need to have a solid understanding of content marketing strategy, and how the pieces fall in place.
To win the game consistently, you have to focus on honing your writing skills and voice. A combination of the two will make you unstoppable. When you write, make it clear and straight to the point. If you can say it with fewer words, go for it.
Final thoughts
When you are done writing an article, it is important to give yourself time for multiple edits before you publish it on your blog. Cut out the junk that stops your article shining.
Images add glamor to good content. It helps the reader assimilate the points you raise through your writing, and gives them a break from reading. The shorter the paragraphs, punctuated by good images, the easier it becomes to absorb the points.
Content writers are rarely without work these days. If you don’t have the skills to produce the groundbreaking content that will keep your audience engaged, you can head to freelancer.com and browse the archive of content writing professionals to hire one at a great fee.
Although there are millions of websites on the internet, there are those you visit regularly. What is it about their content that keeps you coming back? Tell us in the comment box and share with your friends to hear what they have to say.