Now, before you grab your dictionary, know that we’re not talking about paragraphs loaded with flowery words that are too complicated or profound for people to understand. Great quality content is about creating a space for services and products to stand out without the hard selling. It has to be customer-oriented, innovative, fun to read, and memorable.
Memorability: the Operative Word
For content marketing, you’ll know that content is of high quality if it contains quotes and phrases that stick. Three things make them memorable and these are:
Nuggets of wisdom – there’s depth to the message that’s being conveyed.
Sentence construction – quality content is not about puffy words; it’s how the thought flows based on how the words are put together in a sentence.
Wordplay – the cliché goes, “it’s not about what you say, it’s how you say it”. The same rings true for quality content.
Most writers commit the mistake of exaggerating what can be expressed in five words. Not only is this a waste of time; it also makes it difficult for the product to stand out. The reader gets dizzy riding the roller coaster of words that they hit the close button before reaching the end.
Simplicity is Key
Content creation means meeting the required number of words and that’s a given. This does not mean dumping all words just to hit the word count. Express clear thoughts, elaborate, but try to keep the words at a minimum. The shorter the sentences are, the easier it will be for the reader to remember them. Cite examples to drive a point, compare when need be and draw a conclusion in the end. The content has to be colorful and not monotonous. It also has to be clear on what it wants to talk about. The product or service, obviously.
Paint Images
According to content marketing company Miami, great quality content triggers the reader’s imagination. one way to achieve this is by using concrete words. These words are clear, specific, and a lot easier to understand compared to abstract words. One famous statement that has done a swell job in making itself memorable is “melts in your mouth, not in your hands” by M&M’s. The statement is short, specific, clear, and it makes people wonder: “how come this chocolate melts in my mouth and not in my hand?”. Those who have not eaten the chocolate may not know what it tastes like, but they know it’s too good to just let it melt on their hands.
It’s All About the Experience
The show, don’t tell, the reader about the experience. Appeal to the senses. Use words to take them on a wonderful journey. Tug at the heartstrings so they can easily resonate and find a space of appreciation for the product. The content has to be easy to relate to, and not the type that’s too technical for people who are just looking for a new phone for example. Change the tone, make room for transitions, and steer clear from sentences that are too monotonous. Great quality content is an adventure. One that will make the reader want to take action whether it be reposting on their social media account or making an actual purchase.
The Train of Thought
Earlier we mentioned that what makes quotes and paragraphs memorable is the nuggets of wisdom they have and this is the part that’s most difficult to achieve. One way to go about this would be to think of what wisdom the readers or customers need to get after reading the content.
It’s good to write these down, combine similar ideas, and remove those that seem too far off until all thoughts can be combined into a core nugget of wisdom. This is easier said than done, and while the process may be daunting, the outcome will contribute to the creation of great quality content. Once this is settled, it becomes effortless to express the nugget of wisdom and expand it into more sentences and paragraphs. It’s always good to write down bullet points first before working on the actual content that way the direction is clear.
All things considered, the most important element in creating quality content is an extensive knowledge of the product or service. Everything else will just flow easily after that. Writers will also know the can and can’t when they are familiar with their products, which makes the contraction and expansion of ideas a piece of cake. It’s also good to know the platform where the content will appear to find a healthy balance between the text and the graphics.
Now that we have shared our guidelines, the only thing left for you to do is this: write!
Contact us to find out how we can convert your content into a unique consumer experience that will help you engage and convert to sales.
