More than 50 million people around the world consider themselves creators! How do you compete with this number? Here are 10 content creation tips and tricks to stands out from the rest. It’s a difficult journey but one worth embarking on!
- Know Your Audience – Can you sell to a customer without knowing what he needs? Creating content is like selling your idea or knowledge to an audience. If you know who your audience is and what they want from you, half the battle is already won. Afterall you don’t want to show “10 Essay Writing Tips For School” to retired people and “ Must- Have Graphic Design Tools” to Investment Bankers!
2. Research & Update – Any content creation begins with extensive research. The more depth you can provide to your audience, the more they will want to indulge in your content. Research not just includes the primary topic but also includes the best ways to present this information, what visuals to use, what is trending and so on. Never settle, always update and upgrade your content based on constant research.
3. Experiment With Different Formats – Getting comfortable with a specific format is natural. Breaking away from it is what will create “break-through” content! If you don’t experiment with different formats, you will not know what works best for your niche. Whether it is listicles, interactive videos, posts, reels, or anything else – you need to try everything. Not only will this help you find your foot, but also make your content interesting, new and fresh.
4. Stick to One Idea – Although it is important to try out new formats, every piece of content should have one clear focus point. Trying to get too many things across to the audience in one post may lead to confusion and the audience will abandon you halfway if you do not deliver as promised.
5. Impart Value – The #1 rule of creating outstanding content is to either entertain or impart knowledge. If your content is not doing either, it is a hot air balloon. Not only are you wasting your time, but your audience’s time as well. Ask yourself – Is the reader going to walk away with something of value by the end of the content? If the answer is no – scrap and start over!
6. Add an Attractive Opening & Maintain Good Formatting – Did you know that a reader will decide whether to consume your content or not in 3 seconds based on its title and opening? Don’t be afraid to make a promise of offering what the audience is looking for. This will motivate them to stay put. Mention a bonus at the end – a free tip, freebie link or an open yet captivating ending. Have a clean format and a crisp end. Use copywriting tools if necessary. These can help a great deal if you are just starting out!
7. Create a Unique Brand Voice – Let your script or article reflect the voice of your brand. Informal, formal, conversational, sarcastic – there are indefinite ways you can go. But don’t switch! Once decided, stick to your tone throughout all your pieces of content.
8. Make it Easy to Consume & Share – The audience hates big words and head scratching sentences. Keep it short, sweet and simple. Don’t make readers pull out the thesaurus, because they won’t. They will just switch to some other piece of content. Also make it easy to share with friends, family and colleagues.
9. Strike a Healthy Balance Between Your Passion & What The Audience Wants – Step into the audience’s shoes. Do they really want to know what you are sharing? Are they interested? If you are creating content for them, prioritizing their needs over yours is of utmost importance. This does not mean you leave your passion behind… just find a healthy balance!
10. Proofread – Read your content. Then read it again. Make your friends and family read and critique it [They’ll be more than happy to]. Make sure it is perfect before you put it out there. Nobody likes rework, but it’ll be worth it.
Wishing you luck on your content creation journey and hoping that these 10 tips will help you get to the top!
