Never Forget These Content Writing Fundamentals.
Before you get to publishing any content, the first step in content is writing. The vast array of content on the web has not only given us information overload but has also lowered our expectations. It’s our responsibility as content creators to evolve with the changing consumption habits of our audience and produce content that speaks to them.
Content marketing is great, but it certainly does not come without challenges; we know this first hand at Blue Whale Media. Writing for the web can be a challenge because you have less than five seconds to engage your audience.
Our content writers at Blue Whale Media know that there are no shortcuts in producing exceptionally engaging content. Here are the content writing fundamentals you should never forget:
Goals and objectives
No content writing strategy is going to be effective if it’s not goal-driven. Why are goals and objectives so important? When marketing content could be exposed to everyone at the given moment, writing content isn’t random, for starters. Even ads on Youtube are delivered on that selected video based on information collected from youtube user data and audience information.
There can be different content writing or marketing strategies for any objective you have as a business; the first thing you need to think about is your audience. Put yourself in their shoes; what comes to mind? Whatever image or scenario you think of will help to determine your preferred target audience or viewer.
Research
The research will always be a content writing basic to ensure you fully understand your target audience, especially how they interact or perceive your content. The good news is that there isn’t a shortage of web usage data or information. From social media alone, you can break down your target audience by factors such as geographic location, salary range and shopping habits. This information is researchable and allows you to develop further your understanding of your target audience and their habits. Research can include:
- Age
- Gender
- Location
- Education level
- Online habits, even on social media
- Personal preferences
Over time you’ll want to keep researching and gaining new and relevant information about your target audience so you can prepare and publish the right content.
Purpose-driven content
Your content needs to be created with actual humans in mind, not just search engines. Now more than ever, it’s crucial to develop purpose-driven content to ensure you’re engaging your audience effectively.
Your content needs to be:
- Informative. With content, you’ll want to educate your audience in some way or another.
- Helpful. Consumer-based content solves some problems for the user, mainly service or product-based content.
- Compelling. Compelling content gives searchers a reason to check out what your content is all about.
Even if your ultimate goal is to generate conversions and boost your revenue, you’ll still want to provide something valuable and relevant to your audience. One way to find the perfect balance of content writing is to use the 80/20 mix, 80% of the content should be informative and the other 20% can be more sales-focused.
For any type of content writing, always put the reader first to produce content that goes further when used in a campaign.
