Thanks for coming back to blog four of our six-part content syndication series. We have already covered what content syndication is, how to get started, and the types of content you can syndicate. Now let’s look at how to create high-quality content that will syndicate well.
Don’t forget we have already discussed the different types of content you could syndicate in our previous blog – The types of content you could syndicate.
The majority of content pieces that firms syndicate are written-form. Therefore we will focus this blog on the creation of written copy.
Creating engaging and well-written content is essential when turning your website readers into clients. It’s also critical for improving your SEO. Search engines reward websites when they find high-quality content – ranking them higher.
Writing great content
There is no one set of guidelines to create incredible copy, which is far from helpful! Good copy varies based on your target audience and your firm’s tone of voice – is it formal or informal? Is it a short or a longer document? Does it contain bullet points or quoted facts? There are also several different types of written content – blog, thought leadership piece, research, etc., which varies the material requirements and quality.
Having said that, there are a few general rules that you can use to improve your written materials which we will run through now:
Title/Headline
The headline is essential to any written material because it determines whether the reader will continue reading. Therefore, the headline must spark interest or stir emotion to encourage the reader to continue.
Grab attention
According to Microsoft, the human attention span is 8 seconds long. Therefore a marketeer only has 8 seconds to capture the reader’s attention. How long did they spend on the title? This doesn’t give you much time left in your opening paragraph to divulge much content. You need to create a ‘hook,’ something that will make the reader want to continue reading. This hook should then lead them nicely into the opening paragraph.
Research
Now you’ve grabbed your reader’s attention, you need to keep it. Not only that, you need to show them you know what you are talking about. You must know about the topic you are writing about and include statistics from research papers to support your claims.
Focus
You should focus your written piece on at least one key message. Write this out, and put it in front of you before you start writing. You also must ensure that you continually tie your writing back to this point throughout your piece.
Tone
Ensure you fully understand your brand guidelines and brief your copywriter before commencing. Your article should sound like it comes from your firm. It should have the same tone as the other written content on their website. This step is crucial if you want to keep your brand consistent.
SEO
A critical part of content syndication is ensuring your content is optimized for SEO. Keep your sentences short and sweet. Add in headings and subheadings, and use your keywords regularly. Make it readable! To top it all off, link to external content or something from your website.
Review
After writing your first draft, revisit it and see how you can improve it. Leave it for a few hours or longer to give you time to process what you have written. Taking time away from your piece will make you more likely to spot obvious grammatical mistakes. Once you are happy with the content, ask someone else to proof it before you begin marketing.
Final thought
Hopefully, this list of points will help you write content that is invaluable. One final thing to note is the importance of having a good content strategy. What is this piece about, and what are the key facts? How does it work with the other content you have written or planned for the firm? Is it on a topic the firm is credible on? And critically, will the target audience want to read this piece?
Please join us next time when we look at how firms can ensure they are getting the most out of their content syndication efforts.
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