5 Secrets to Creating Killer Content
Creating great content and compelling stories is no easy task.
Here are 5 ways that will guide you in making killer content that will resonate with your readers.
Write like a 7th grader
How do you increase readability? You write like a 7th grader - in a way that the majority will understand. There are moments where I get stuck reading the same sentence over and over again, mainly because it’s too long and complicated. It’s hard to understand what someone means if the sentence seems like it never ends and includes more than one thought like what I’m doing now because I’m trying to make a point because some think the more they say the more you will grasp the concept they’re trying to explain. This happens in all forms of writing, too. Sometimes, I get emails from people who write 5 lines in one sentence. Trying to decipher the meaning is frustrating, and can make anyone walk away. Even if it may seem grammatically correct, it can be a draining experience for the reader. Write shorter sentences. Replace complex words with simpler ones. Write like you speak. It’s that simple.
2. Perfect the headline
Spend 40% of your time trying to perfect the headline. At the same time don’t treat your reader like an idiot with headlines that are too click-baity. Remember…headlines aren’t click-baity if your content is great. But, if you don’t write a great headline, you will have fewer click-throughs, fewer emails opened, and fewer products sold. Before social media, when print advertisements were still the trend, companies used to write headlines on their envelopes and headlines that evoked curiosity on advertisements. The headlines were so catchy, you forgot you were looking at an ad.
Consider the following when creating a headline:
What solution are you offering for the problem you are trying to solve?
What are any issues to that solution?
How much time will it take to achieve that solution?
Whether it’s an email subject, newsletter headline, or blog post, you can create a powerful headline that will increase click-through rates using SIT will help you.
3. Zoom in on one aspect of your story
Rather than presenting a lot of data and statistics about a topic or showing the whole line of products, or the entire range of services, focus on one aspect of it. It’s much easier and effective to evoke a reaction on one single product, service or event. By zooming in on one unique part, you can write content that evokes a stronger reaction than you would by revealing the entire story at once.
Think about a significant moment in your life. What aspect of that moment do you remember? What triggers you to remember that moment over and over again? Perhaps a certain scent brings up feelings of when you were in a garden on a picnic with someone special. The point is, we remember moments and things because of how it made us feel.
So the next time you want to drop a lot of data and statistics, first think of how that data relates to the consumer and the consumer’s heart. Emotion always overpowers logic. So if you want to explain how great your bakery is, first engage my senses by telling me how delicious your cake is. If your cake impresses me, I can’t imagine how great your other baked goods are.
You can support your story with the data, but make sure your focus is not on it alone. People are more likely to take action by something they’re moved by.
4. Paint with rare metaphors
Make your ideas more relatable when you paint a picture for the reader. Professors Neil Fleming and David Bohm discovered that people learn in four different ways:
- Visually - by seeing
- Auditorily - by hearing
- Reading - by reading
- Kinesthtically - by moving
People tend to remember things better by seeing or experiencing. Reading was the least popular. As writers, we have to paint a picture with our words by using rare metaphors. Metaphors help us paint a clearer picture and allow our brain ito understand new concepts. Why rare? Because there are so many metaphors that are cliche and have become so common that people don’t consider them metaphors anymore. When it becomes common, it’s easy to forget. So paint a different picture that people will remember.
5. Use the APSA outline
This is a great structure to use so people can follow a journey in your writing.
Attention - Grab the reader’s attention. This is done with a captivating headline or subject-line.
Problem - Help the reader solve a problem. Make the reader understand how important this problem is.
Solution - Now that you’ve emphasized the problem, you present the solution. You can do this with a product, a story, testimonials, etc. Convince the reader that your solution is the best one.
Action - Ask the reader to do something. You’ve got them this far, now you can guide them to what you want them to do next. Ask them to join a mailing list, try a product, click a link.
Now you’ve to the tools to tell a great story and make an impact with your content. Writers are the most important people in the world. We can change people’s mind and change the course of an entire event. There are so great stories yet to come out and I can’t wait to see them all.
