If your content marketing is to succeed, you need to be able to create jaw dropping content that immediately hooks interest and maintains it throughout.
It’s not always easy; sometimes inspiration is necessary to jump-start our imaginations, and who better to turn to than famous authors?
If it sounds like writing, I rewrite it (Elmore Leonard)
This is crucial – you don’t want your content to sound artificial and like it was written purely for promotional purposes. Content should flow well and be written in a chatty and conversational manner to show readers the more ‘human’ side of the brand.
Never use the passive where you can use the active (George Orwell)
This is truly great advice. Coming across as strong and opinionated transforms you into someone people want to listen to or think they should be listening to. It’s not just what you say but also how you say it – so be brave and swap the passive for the active wherever you can.
When people tell you something’s wrong or doesn’t work for them, they are almost always right (Neil Gaiman)
Sometimes you get so into an article that you are blind to any imperfections and find it difficult accept criticism from friends or colleagues. However, you are writing to impress others, not yourself, so always take feedback into account including likes, shares and comments on social media platforms. You’ll quickly figure out what works and what to exclude from your content strategy.
If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out (George Orwell)
People like content that is concise and to the point and that doesn’t require sifting through a tangled mass of sentences in order to dig out what is most relevant to them.
I’m always pretending that I’m sitting across from somebody. I’m telling them a story, and I don’t want them to get up until it’s finished (James Patterson)
This works equally well for digital content as it does for novels. You don’t want people to click away until they get to the end of your content, which means maintaining interest with engaging prose and quality images scattered throughout, among other things. This is also good for your SEO because the more time readers spend on the page, the more valuable Google will deem your content.
I try to leave out the parts that people skip (Elmore Leonard)
If on finishing your article you read it back and start to glaze over when you reach a particular paragraph, delete it or rephrase it. The best way to create an impact is to put thought into every word.
Quantity produces quality. If you only write a few things, you’re doomed (Ray Branbury)
The more you run, the faster you’ll get. The more you speak up, the more confident you’ll get. The more frequently you write, the better you will be at it. It’s a simple equation: write often and watch the quality climb. If you’re in the content marketing game, you should be creating content for your blog at least once a day anyway.
Jenny Maclean
