You’ve probably heard the phrase “content is king” about a million times. It’s true – good content makes the difference between low performing and stellar social media posts. If you’re looking for long-term engagement and a loyal audience that comes back to read your newest articles, you’re going to need more than clickbait titles and eye-catching featured images. For long-term results, work on adding value to your content. Easier said than done, huh? Here’s a brief checklist to ensure each new post you publish is packed with incredible value!
1. Are You an Authority in Your Field?
Before you hit “publish” on your next article draft, make sure your content meets the basic requirements. One of these is the sense of authority, which you can instill by providing accurate and double-checked information. Being authoritative in your content means that you know what you’re talking about and provide correct and reliable information. Some content creators are not aware that Google uses human evaluators to determine the quality and accuracy of the information you provide. The level of expertise you show in the article will determine whether your content qualifies as a low-quality or high-quality search result.
2. Is Your Content Informative?
It takes more than just showing off your expertise to win over a loyal audience of readers. The content you provide should also be packed with valuable information put together comprehensively. Many writers end up overcomplicating their content in an attempt to present themselves as authoritative experts. Therefore, before publishing the post, make sure you’ve answered the main questions your readers are asking and keep your focus narrowed down to one specific topic. Each piece of content you put out should be informative in the sense of answering specific topic-related questions. Thus, avoid overcomplicating things by mixing two or more topics.
3. Is Your Content Up to Date or Evergreen?
There are two types of topics you should consider when creating valuable content. The first is up to date topics that are relevant for a certain period. Content of this nature either has to be updated every couple of months, or it will be completely forgotten. Evergreen content, on the other hand, stays relevant for years to come. Articles such as “how-to” guides or “top x” posts are considered evergreen content because their value is not determined by time. If you want to put more effort into long-term valuable content, consider evergreen ideas first.
4. Is Your Content Readable?
For your content to be considered valuable, it has to be simple and easy to understand. This is where many people go wrong with overcomplicating their sentence structures and using fancy words to sound more professional. However, what readers are really looking for is simple content that is written with clarity. To achieve this, always write to your audience’s level of understanding, avoid overcomplicated words and phrases, and make sure to format each article appropriately. When formatting, avoid leaving large chunks of text all over the place. Instead, split those paragraphs up into smaller blocks, so they are easier to read and scan through.
5. Does Your Content Provide Closure?
Last but not least, make sure your content provides a valuable closure in conclusion. Don’t end the article with “that’s all we’ve had for you today.” Instead, wrap things up with a summary and a quick takeaway that the readers should keep in mind after moving away from your content. More importantly, always include some CTA or call-to-action to encourage the readers to take the next step, whether it is to sign up for your newsletter, download a freebie, or enter a sales funnel for your product or service. Not only will this boost your conversion efforts, but the readers will find these directions valuable and useful.
Focus on the Right Platform
Creating valuable content is an essential part of building an online presence. However, there is more to it than just constantly pumping out article after article. You have to focus on the right digital platform to get your message out there, and adjust each piece of content to the specific platform it will be published on.
The type of platforms you should focus on greatly depends on your audience to find out where they spend most of their time online. Some of the most popular digital platforms to consider are Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and custom made WordPress sites.
