Article Writing Guidelines - Creating Quality Content
A frequent question from many of our clients is “what do I write” or “how do I write.” Here are some good ideas for creating quality content for your site. Keep in mind that the article and/or post will be used for the first initial posting and/or initial article marketing efforts.
It must be unique – different from the information on your website.
This content is used to promote you as an authority in your field. You will need to compose (or have someone compose) an initial individual or company bio that invokes authority. It should say who you are, what your experience is and why they should respect your opinion and recommendations.
Many customers provide two posts, initially:
One as an introduction which contains a bio or description;
Another post, containing content that can be used for promotion.
Example: An article offering tips and advice or discussing industry-related problems and solutions.
Sample Posts
In order to illustrate this, here is a sample ABOUT/ARTICLE section of the questionnaire. In this example, Blue Widget, Inc. manufactures and provides specialized service and support for blue widgets in the widget industry. Their current website is a brochure site that encourages visitors to buy blue widgets and offers support information.
Author Bio:
Paul Smith is the president of Blue Widgets Inc, a manufacturer of premium blue widgets. He has 15 years of experience in the widget industry, dealing with small businesses as well as large corporate clients. He is interested in helping people discover blue widgets and has worked for hundreds of clients over the course of his twenty years in the field. Paul is a member of the Blue Widget Professionals’ Organization and holds an MBA from Washington State University, where he focused on blue widget fabrication techniques. Paul enjoys playing golf on weekends and spends as much time as he can with his family.
Examples of types of posts you can write:
1. Tip post
Top 10 Tips for using Blue Widgets in your industry.
Hundreds of companies have discovered the value in premium blue widgets. Once you’ve bought a blue widget there are some easy things you can do to get more out of them. Here are ten simple tips to optimize your blue widget usage:
- Be a _____
- Watch _____
- Be sure to ______
- Know ____
- Use ___ when _____
(Recap of news / industry related item)
“Blue Widget Sales up 1,000%
In the past week, Widget Magazine (link here) published a story about blue widget sales being up 1000%. This is another example of mainstream media giving attention to the new blue widget phenomenon. I expect growth to continue for some time, now.”
“From my experience as president of Blue Widget Inc, more and more smaller companies in the widget industry are seeing the tangible quality difference that sets blue widgets apart in their field. This shift is paving the way for a more large-scale industry migration towards blue widgets.” –Paul Smith, as quoted in “Widget Monthly Digest”.
2. FAQ Post
Q. What the difference between green widgets and blue widgets?
A. That’s a question I run into a lot, both from those who are new in the field, as well as those who’ve been involved in widgets for some time.
3. Further Ideas
a. Comment on a news item in your industry / field;
b. Answer a basic question that a perspective user / buyer may have;
c. Post and comment on some type of metric or article published somewhere else;
d. Relate personal stories or anecdotes, this is the place to be human and speak directly to your audience.
Here are some quick links to excellent articles about creating valuable content and a more effective blog:
http://socialmediasystems.com/11/12/business-blogging-tips-for-non-writers/
http://socialmediasystems.com/10/24/dont-be-an-im-a-realtor-too-site-stand-out-market-your-site-with-quality-content/
http://socialmediasystems.com/04/11/10-rarely-used-quick-and-easy-tips-to-supercharge-your-blog/
Tags: article writing, content
