In today’s day and age, the internet is the general population’s go-to source for information, entertainment, and education. There are literally billions of websites that currently occupy their own corners of the internet. Because of this, it can be difficult making your website stand out.
Before you claim your own corner of the internet, you need to know how to create content. It’s a well-established fact that before you take your site live, you should have at least a couple of weeks’ worth of content ready to be posted. So before you reach out to a custom website builder, make sure you know the basics of creating killer content. Here are six implementable tips to guide you in this quest.
1. Identify Your Audience
In order to craft great content, you need to know who you’re writing it for. Don’t consider just your primary reader, but your secondary reader also. For example, you might think that just because you’re starting a tech blog, your only readers will be those interested in technology, but that’s just one segment of your actual audience. Your secondary audience could be parents who are looking to buy gifts for their tech-savvy kids or elderly people who are looking to learn the basics of technology. Here’s a brilliant guide that will help you define your audience.
2. Cover All Your Content Bases
Many people make the mistake of thinking that content is limited to blog posts and emailers. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Every letter of every word on your website is classed as content. So instead of focusing on just one area of your website, make sure you have content for at least all of the following:
– A compelling home page
– A thought leadership blog page
– An engaging “About” page
– A comprehensive contact page
3. Keep it Short and Sweet (And Simple!)
The way people read online is completely different from how they read words printed or scrawled on an actual piece of paper. Consider the fact that the average American adult reads at a level of seventh to ninth grade and make sure your content aligns with this fact. Use sentences that contain 35 words or less. Make use of the following to ensure your content is easily readable:
– Bullet points
– Short paragraphs
– Highlighted keywords
– Numbered lists
– Sub-headings
– Bold text
– Italic text
4. Use the Appropriate Language
Only use language that you KNOW for a fact your audience will be able to read and understand. As far as possible, you should avoid using jargon or technical terms and opt instead to use simple language that your audience will be able to digest easily. But don’t dumb your content down to the point where it loses its value or meaning. Instead of using the word “burdensome” use the word “difficult” instead or even “tough” to achieve a more conversational tone. Naturally, if you’re writing for a technically inclined audience, you’ll have more linguistic freedom.
5. Use Multimedia
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and when it comes to web content, this old adage couldn’t be more applicable to this digital age we live in. If this is indeed true, can you imagine how much value a video has? Make sure that you scatter photos, charts, infographics, videos, or GIFs throughout your content. The benefits of using multimedia in your content are multifaceted. Here’s a breakdown of the biggest benefits:
– Simplification: Visual aids can help to better explain a complicated topic, meaning your audience is more likely to understand it.
– Engagement: Your readers are stimulated by multimedia, which boosts their overall level of engagement.
– Search Engine Optimization: Images in specific are especially important to optimize your content in order for search engines to better pick it up.
– Shareability: The usage of multimedia in your content will increase its level of shareability to social media sites and image-centric platforms.
6. Create a Content Calendar—and Stick to it!
The last tip to help you create great content is this: create a content calendar. Consistency is key when it comes to getting your subscribers or followers to read your content. By creating a content calendar, you’ll be constantly motivated to create great content that will keep your readers coming back for more. After all, what’s the point in creating incredible content if nobody ever reads it?
Conclusion
And there you have it: 6 tips that will teach you how to create great content for your website. Sure, it can be tough, but the results are so worth the effort it takes to create content that stands out from all the rest. Keep these guidelines in mind, and you’ll be well on your way to crafting killer content.
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