Content marketing
Writing good web content is not as difficult as you think. The key to success is keeping the audience interested and focusing on the results you want to achieve. Here are some tips on how to do this.
Make a list of topics readers are dealing with
Every audience has some sort of problem. When they visit your site, they hope you will offer a usable solution. A list of questions and problems from readers will provide an excellent source of potential articles and blog posts.
Begin by creating a table. Or, if you prefer, take a blank piece of paper. Start writing questions that your customers or site visitors have asked you. The answers to these questions will be a good topic for the blog. They will also contain good key phrases to include in your web content and help with search engine optimisation.
Once you have thought about the questions people ask, add more topics to help readers. Do not dismiss any idea. Also, check the websites and blogs of your competitors to find out what topics they are writing about.
Build your concept
Once you have decided on a topic, it is very tempting to start writing immediately. However, the text may eventually deviate completely from your goal and it would then be difficult to rewrite it. Avoid this problem by starting with a rough outline of what you really need to include in the content. It is important to have an overall idea of the structure before you start writing.
Imagine the reader you are addressing
Imagine the person you are writing for is sitting right in front of you. They are sharing their needs or concerns with you and you have the opportunity to respond. Write for the reader, think about them so they will really understand your text. You might start by writing down the key ideas you wish to convey and then gradually develop the content.
Do not edit the text as you type
The secret of writing is that you first get the ideas out of your head and on paper, then later edit them. Editing as you type can hamper you in your own creation as you will stem your flow of thoughts. You can always edit the final document later. In addition, if you just let it lie a day or two you may spot more mistakes and typos you made while writing. Or you will come up with new ideas.
Put the texts in a file, then copy them to the web
Don't try to write your blog or web material directly into a content management system. You can save your work in a text editor on an ongoing basis and you will then have it available for archiving if, for example, someone from the web accidentally deletes it.
The next and final part in the series will focus on sources of inspiration for valuable content on the web.
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