Creating content is a task most marketers and content creators struggle with. Most times, the problem isn’t essentially how to create content, but how to create the kind of content that proves to be effective, efficient, and converts clicks into sales. Research has shown that one in three marketers affirm that their content writing skills have proven to be not all that effective.
What is Content Writing?
You may have found yourself asking- “What are the elements of well-written content? What makes content effective? What are the essential elements of effective content writing?” These questions will be answered in this article.
Before we delve fully, however, it is important to state that content writing is a skill that can be sharpened and acquired. With practice and consistency, one can surely improve one’s content writing skills. Especially by taking note of the elements of well-written content, and implementing each and every one of them, well-written content soon becomes the norm for content creators and marketers seeking some form of change.
6 Important Elements of Great Content Writing
- A Compelling Headline
It is said that 80% of website and blog visitors mostly only read the headlines of the visited pages, while 20% of the visitors actually read the whole content. This means that if you record a website visiting number of 100 visitors, it is highly likely that 80 of them didn’t even read the entire copy.
This is due to a lot of reasons. Firstly, considering that we are becoming a highly digitalised world, there appears to be a lot of competition for your audience’s time. Your website or blog is definitely not the only contender for their time and attention, and this is why you have to up your content-creating game and ensure that you’re not just attracting visitors, but something about your content compels them to say.
Your headline and titles are a good place to start with compelling content. Boring, dull, and stale headlines not only bores readers, but some readers may even find it infuriating. It is your content. Make it yours. Be creative with it.
- An Interesting Introduction
Have you ever come across content with really attractive compelling headlines, but you soon click on these headlines and discover that you have been scammed? The introduction has nothing to do with the headline. It’s boring and dull- giving you no promises and no reasons to stay on the page, and immediately, you exit the page. This happens sometimes even to the best of us, and while you may think that your click boosts that website’s SEO (Search engine optimisation), the truth is that these search engines now identify these websites with click-baits, as they are called, and when more people click on the links but immediately exit the pages, it reduces the website’s ranking chances.
What this means for you as a content creator and a marketer is that every aspect of your content is important. Do not just create content with compelling headlines and leave it at that. Every part of your content should be interesting, fascinating, and hooking. Pay special attention to your introduction, because it often determines whether or not your audience will be reading the other parts of your content. A recommended way to make your introduction interesting is by delving straight into the subject matter as promised in your headline.
- Focused and Clear Points
This is another element of well-written content. Ensure that your content is specifically targeted at a particular group of people. Do not subscribe to the ideology that your writing is for everyone. Depending on the specificity of your title, you have an idea of who your target audience is. Write with this audience in mind.
Also, ensure that the outlined points in your article are clear and they focus on the title of your article. Do not stray from the objective of your writing, but keep to it throughout your content. In addition to this, do not write generic content or one-size-fits-all content. The more you create specific content, the more you are likely to get the conversion your business needs.
- An Engaging Tone
People like to feel engaged. They like to feel like they are important and their opinion matters too. People also like to feel seen. They want to know that their needs are understood and their desires are relatable. Since you know your target audience and you understand them, you should make use of language that is simple, a tone that is engaging, and a voice that your audience will truly appreciate.
- A Unique Brand Voice
Speaking of voices, every brand has its unique voice. Your brand should have a unique voice that is reflected in every content your brand puts out. Your audience should be able to identify your brand just by reading your content. This makes your audience feel like you’re reliable and trustworthy. When they know that they can depend on you to stay authentic and true to yourself, they are more likely to patronise you and become loyal customers or clients.
It is important that your brand’s voice echoes your brand’s core values, mission statement, a definition of the existing relationship with your audience, and a language your audience relates to.
- Impeccable and Valuable Knowledge
After all is said and done, you want your audience to leave your site feeling like they have learnt something or they have acquired a new form of knowledge. For this reason, research is highly important in creating well-written content. By researching on your content topic, you get more knowledge about that topic and you’re able to share this knowledge with your audience.
Of course, naturally, when your audience sees that you provide them valuable content in all you write, they soon easily turn to you in times of questions and confusion. By creating an identity about your brand that is approachable and knowledgeable, you indirectly boost your brand’s value.
In all, well-written content does not just happen. It takes skills, consistency, and a desire to grow and improve. Other problems like grammatical errors, tense inconsistency, typographical errors, and plagiarism are sure turn-offs in content. Not only will your audience reduce drastically, but even your SEO ranking also reduces when the quality of your content isn’t up to par or up to expectations.