FIVE IMPORTANT POINTS TO ENSURE EFFECTIVE CONTENT WRITING

 

Effective Content writing is the heart of any digital marketing attempt. Content writing is not literary writing or even book writing. Content writing is a tool to communicate clear subject matter to a specific group of people. 

Does that make content writing simpler? Yes and No.

Yes, because spelt out rules always makes it easy to work but no, because constant empathy with the readers incessantly is not easy. Add to it the fact that value is not constant but a matter of perception. So while a glittery pencil that has a cartoon shaped rubber may sound a deal at thirty rs to a ten-year-old, an adult might scoff at it.

Relevance to your target segment

Content Writing is for the audience and not for a writer. This thumb rule is what makes writing, effective content writing. When one manufactures shoes or dresses, they shape and design them to suit their customers. Writing should be no different. Zero down on your buyer persona or the target segment and write for them and only them. The key to effective content writing is the choice of subject. Choose a subject that might interest them and prove useful to them. Using bombastic words or complex sentences might sound clever and showcase your erudition but may not serve your purpose. Tailor write your piece for your readers. If grouping them into different segments gives you an edge then take it. Segment your target into subgroups and write for each of them. Personalizing your write up will always enhance the effectiveness of your content writing.

Value add  For Effective content writing

While writing content for your target audience, make sure the quality of the content is among the best. Most of the business units start a blog to plug their products or call for action however the basic unspoken deal is “I give you info and you get to know me (or any other call for action)” This is not unlike any other business transaction. Now imagine you have given rotten apples instead of your money. Giving unresearched, wrong or outdated information is akin to giving a prospective client a raw deal. It will kill the relationship before it's born and dent your credibility. And the branding will suffer if not permanent but at least a lasting effect. Effective content writing depends on the quality of the information you are giving.

Some people believe that since they gathered the information the hard way through years of experience or education, it isn’t fair to give it off free. It is necessary to remember that every reader who is reading your writing is giving you his time, focus and recognition. This is on top of the CTA that you expect. So it's not all free. Also, this is more of an investment to build a long term relationship. Remember your credibility can be monetized in many ways. so “giving away” well-researched information is one of the best investments that one can do.

Packaging your message for Effective Content Writing

Story, incidents, anecdotes, empathetic situations are the best form of reaching out to your audience. You don’t want to just engage the audience but give them the takeaway that they can remember and utilize. To do so its is important to relate to them. The best bet is of course storytelling as the major players like Hubspot academy teach us.

 It is necessary to tell a story that has an enumerated problem. The description of the problem and its effect on others will help us to show the audience that we empathize and understand them. This makes them comfortable and lets them relax. Make sure that the problem always has a solution or at least a closure. An open-ended story always leaves the audience with a feeling of dissatisfaction. To draw the whole circle and package your message in a story which relates and offers solutions to the audience.

Quality checks for Effective Content Writing

Now that we have covered the subject quality and the essence of the content writing, let us talk about how best to present it. You need to know that every reader is not a thorough reader. Many of the readers are mere scanners. Here is where the subheading, listicles, font sizes matter. Most people read the heading and then merely go through the subheadings to find if they are relevant or new information or value-adding to them. Bold lines and calls for action too fall under their radar. Only if these can lure them, do they spend more time reading the article in full.

Effective content writing is preparing the article meticulously but giving the synopsis in the heading, subheading and bold captions along with a call to action. They should give the essence of the article to the scanners. Also, the H2 helps in optimizing the write up for the search engines. The font chosen should be of a readable size and preferable in a single colour. Images always attract and videos do it even more. However, one image or one video per 700 words should suffice. Many courses give us the specifics about the way the article should be written like LinkedIn courses. The overall message is to make it easy and comfortable for the reader.

Plugging conscientiously for Effective Content Writing

We all know that content writing is goal-oriented and looks at attracting customers towards a business unit. Remember the time when the sight of well dressed young men with brochures in hand would cause us to change our course just to avoid them? Well, no one exactly like blatant and hard-driving sales talk. Sales are sometimes even perceived as a con because of their aggressive nature. Offering content is a beautiful way to put forth your solutions without badgering your prospective client.

When you offer a value-adding article or any other form of content, you are offering help to a total stranger with no strings attached. You of course expect him or her to remember you and develop a relationship with him. You need to remember that the goal of writing content is to build relationships and not to sell. You could empathize with the audience’s problem. You could even offer a solution but pushing them to buy your product might not be as effective as simply letting them know you and recognize your name. so while plugging the business entity name is great, badgering is not.

Call for action in Effective Content

Call for action is persuading or encouraging the reader to take a specific action eg "fill this form to get 30% discount voucher at our store." It is instant remuneration that the business units can expect instead of the content that they put out. Call for action can range from data collection like registration or avail a discount voucher or simply mail their specific requirements to the unit. Call for action should take the most prominent place on the page and should be noticeable. Even if the audience is just giving a cursory glance, the call for action should stand out.