5 tips on writing quality content

In 2017, we will experience a larger boom in companies investing in content marketing. Two major reasons are the rising use of ad blockers and the rising scepticism and/or criticism towards commercial messages in our everyday.

So if you’re working with marketing or communication, you should know how to write quality content for digital platforms.

There are four main objectives of your content:

• to inform
• to entertain
• to persuade
• to inspire

In content marketing, I usually leave out the persuade part, because I originally think that any content from a company is somewhat manufactured to persuade in some way or another — beneficial to branding and profits.

When looking at what good content is you have to have a certain objective to it. For example, in this blog posts I want to inform you, my reader, of what you should focus on when writing quality content. The onion wants to entertain, Ted wants to inspire and politicians wish to persuade. Find your objective first.

Know your audience and what keeps them up at night!

If you are writing a piece of content, you want to know who you are talking to. You want to understand them, know their problems, beliefs and values. If you have no clue on who your target audience is, your content will receive less engagement.

Think of providing a solution to a problem that has to be fixed — sender-oriented communication usually never really work for brands in content marketing. Receiver-oriented communication provides value to the reader.

Cut the bullshit

You want to keep it real in your content. Think of how many times you have read something from a company, where you were thinking *god damn it, stop making this a sensation or try to polish your own image*. It’s all over the internet!

I know so many companies who use heated words to blow up a story as being fantastic or making someone or something so ridicolously mindblowing awesome (I quess it’s because we want to persuade the reader, but it often leaves the reader thinking the same as when commercial messages pop up — why not invest the money in cold canvas then!?).

You want to be authentic and clear about what you write. Oh, and that even makes something more personalized, giving readers a better experience with a company’s communication. This is also how you create relations and gain trust from your peers.

Be simple and focus on clarity

I love to link to this blog post by Joe Pulizzi: A blog post is like a mini skirt. He captures the idea of writing content that is precisely the length it has to be to fullfill its purpose.

This is also tied to cutting the bullshit. If you want the attention of the reader, you want to be simple and clear about what it is you want the reader to engage with. Be sure to consider every single word you use, and ask yourself if this could be written in a better way.

Do not be afraid of cutting out pieces — maybe saving pointers for other content as add-ons to the original part could be a brilliant idea for your content strategy.

Take your time

“Give me six hours to cut down a tree, and I’ll use four hours to sharpen my axe”

- Abraham Lincoln

Preparation and focus for the essential in your writing is key.

Here is a thing we always do in today’s western culture work environment; underestimate the time it takes to do something.

We practically say to ourselves that when we believe something can be done in one hour, it will be done in one hour. We never think of the uncertainties that ALWAYS comes up and delay the process of our work. That’s why I urge you to create a buffer for yourself:

Make sure you add 50% extra time to a task, when setting a deadline or limit for your work.

How many times have you made presentations, where you never go through all your slides as expected because someone asks a question and interrupts your schedule? Or because you underestimate the time it takes to present? Or if you didn’t cut out enough information? Think of why you are delayed sometimes. What you if you added extra time for uncertainties? Having that intesresting chat with the audience and still keep schedule of your presentation?

Giving yourself the extra time as a buffer can give you focus and quality in your writing.