Writing content: 21 tips to get it right

Focus, tone, and connection are crucial aspects of online marketing. Here’s how to get started and follow your through line.

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Great writing is very much about preparation. Great content marketing is very much about planning. So we’ll begin with some fundamentals—black-and-white guidelines to outline the work that needs to be done before you start writing.

1. Zero in on your goal. The discipline of writing content may resemble journalism more than it does advertising, but remember that what you’re doing is marketing. You want the reader to respond.

The response can take a variety of forms. Examine what your broad objectives are in your content marketing strategy, and then zero in on the specific goal of the piece you plan to write.

2. Uncover the pain. Definitions of “content marketing” vary, but “value” is a common thread. I like to simplify content marketing to three words: proactively answering questions.

Think of yourself as a friend to the reader. What do your friends do? They help you. The most helpful ones are good listeners. They get you. They have a handle on your problems. They know what causes you pain and what gives you pleasure.

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