Generating good content is not magic, but it is an indispensable skill to master. Here are some of my top tips that work well for me, and will for you too.
1. Have a point. Of course you need great material to bring traffic to your blog or domain but there is something you must do first.
It’s indispensable to have a objective before you start writing anything at all. You need to know what you want to get out of what you produce, whether that’s to drive more visitors to your site or to educate and inform your market.
2. Focus on getting it right first time. Of course this doesn’t happen without preparation, but take an instance from a daily newspaper journalist. Their deadlines mean they don’t get time to write, edit, re-write and touch up their copy, so they have got to get it as right as they can first time round.
This is particularly vital for any copy to your blog posts; they should be 95% right the first time you write them.
I know that speed and implementation are the toughest part of being an entrepreneur, and the biggest reason most people aren’t’ doing well. Being a perfectionist is not a good idea in commerce, good enough will do better than perfection every single time so do not fritter away time ‘perfecting’ your copy, just get on with it.
A bonus to this method is that if you really center on getting things right first time then you you don’t have to go back and fix them later.
3. Force demanding but realistic targets on yourself. It’s quality not quantity that counts here, so your aim should be to generate and share that every single day.
4. Give sound bites, not manifestos. A really great illustration of this is Twitter – you have to put your point across in140 characters, or less,. That forces you to be concise and to the point.
Most inboxes are filled to capacity and your message is easily lost so generate your emails short and punchy.
Save the big ideas for the right medium and time when your clientele have the time to sit down and take it in.
5. Have a point of view. people buy from individuals they trust, and they won’t trust you unless they feel they know you.
I know I say you have to have speed and execution, but it also has to have something of your own personality in there. people are interested in your thoughts and opinions on the topic, so don’t generate it neutral and bland but state your views clearly as someone who has a genuine interest in the topic.
6. The Insiders Scoop. This follows on from the previous point, because in order to become an authority to your prospects and customers you want to earn a real connection with them. people love to have the insider view, and you can give that to them, so tell them as much of your life and experience as you can.
BUT, it must have a point to it that is relevant to your market or product.
7. Always summarise! Back to school here. You remember with essays you were always told to ‘tell them what you’re going to tell them, tell them it and then tell them what you’ve told them.’
That is so true for material creation as well because you will make the greatest impression on your reader by repeating key points and making your message unmistakeable, and unforgettable.
