Since you've been online, how many times have you heard the saying "content is king"?
The truth is, that's only half right.
The missing ingredient to that statement, is quality.
It's not uncommon for website and business owners to outsource their writing, either because they don't have enough time to do it on their own, or they may just hate the idea of being stuck in front of a computer trying to come up with ideas.
Unfortunately, when this happens, most people look for quantity more than they do quality.
The end result is usually a half-hearted attempt by the hired writer, full of errors and boring, cookie-cutter material that reads like everything else that's available.
If you're just looking for SEO, that might be fine with you.
But what's the point of ranking in the search engines if nobody wants to stick around to read what you've provided?
Next time you need to write content for your site, here are ten approaches you can use to come up with fresh ideas....
Use Current Events
The benefit of using current events is, most of the material is already there for you. You just need to put a twist on it and make it relevant to your readers.
Ranting about the news and current events also has an element of controversy, which gives your content built-in potential for discussion or debate.
Not to mention, those that identify with your post are likely to share it with their own network, which adds free traffic to your site.
Relevant Pictures of Events
Similar to the idea above, you can use pictures - either by themselves or along with your articles.
The harsh truth is, most people are fairly busy.
If the saying "a picture is worth a thousands words" is even slightly true, then that means you can share the same information...but in a quicker, easier format to consume.
Most people are visual, while not everyone likes to read.
Honest and Critical Reviews
If your topic/market/niche focuses on a specific type of product or service, you can be to "go-to" person for your readers.
There are a lot of sites that are biased when reviewing products, because they often receive a commission as an affiliate when someone buys.
By being honest and critical, your readers will come to respect and appreciate your opinions.
Wouldn't you feel more secure reading a review from someone like that?
How-to Articles And Tip Sheets
Again, people are busy...
If you're able to offer your readers solid information that they can use right away, there's no way you can go wrong.
Two common ways of doing this are how-to articles and tip sheets.
They both contain the same information, just formatted a little differently.
An article will contain information on how to perform a series of tasks, most often with a little elaboration.
A tip sheet, on the other hand, is a one-page sheet with bite-sized action steps to take.
There may still be some explanation where necessary, but all of the content will fit neatly onto a single page.
You could take this a little further and convert the information into a PDF and brand it with your company info to, and let your readers download and share it, for free!
Company Announcements
While you could simply post the announcement on your company blog, a more effective approach would be a press release.
Writing a press release allows you to put the message on your blog, while also submitting it to press release sites for syndication.
Some sites even get themselves in Google News this way and get a ton of targeted traffic.
If you want to turn your announcement into a two-way conversation, you could either ask readers to comment, or do some type of poll/contest to help you make company decisions.
Videos of Events And Happenings
If reality television has taught us anything, it's that people love to get an inside look on things.
By recording a video of you around the office or at a seminar, you can appeal to that natural interest, while also letting your readers SEE you.
One of the basic rules of getting people interested in what you have to offer (even if it's only free content) is that they have to know, like and trust you.
There's something about being able to see who you're dealing with that makes this happen a whole lot easier.
Interviews With Authority Figures in Your Market
This is where "guilty by association" applies...in a good way!
Not only are these interviews interesting, because your audience can get information from someone they might admire...
...you also (whether it's only subconscious or not) become an "expert by association".
"Blueprints"
Similar to tip sheets, a blueprint is a great way to teach your readers...without them having to wade through all the extra filler material that tends to be written when trying to explain a new concept.
Instead, you're just giving them the "meat" of the information so that they can put it to use right away.
Stories
Everyone loves a good story! After all, we've been told stories our entire lives.
Everything from what happened on our way to the office, to how an idea came to be...
Stories are an easy way to break down ideas, while keeping your readers entertained.
If you're just trying to communicate and not necessarily educate, stories also make you more "transparent" to your audience. Allowing your readers to get a glimpse inside your life allows them to actually bond with you.
And good example of the "transparency" idea, is our last content idea:
"Mistakes I've Made"
By nature, we tend to try and make ourselves seem 'perfect' to anyone that might be paying attention.
While doing so might make you more "professional" to your audience, it won't make you seem quite as 'real'.
It might be a little intimidating trying to learn from someone that always seems to get things right.
Wouldn't you agree?
Showing that you make mistakes gives your readers the impression that "Hey, I could do this!".
Main Takeaway:
No matter what kind of content you decide to put out, always remember to be ORIGINAL.
With some topics, it may be next to impossible to approach it "originally"...but even something as simple as adding personality to your writing/videos can make the difference.
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