All Entries in the "Main" Category
What Does ‘User Focused’ Content Really Mean?
Only a small percentage of people actually read. Now I know you will all say that you read, but I am talking about the difference between ‘seeing’ and ‘reading’. True readers read everything; and they will often read from the top of the page to the bottom, fine print included, whether or not the subject matter really interests them. For the vast majority, we skim read; often called ‘scanning’; and we look for shortcuts. The heading, words in bold, bullet points; anything to cut our ‘reading’ time.
User focused therefore has two meanings; one, to provide content in a form that is quickly digested; and two, provide content that requires eating (you cannot digest what you haven’t eaten).
To provide user focused content for eating is not all that difficult; it falls into basically three components. Language, Message, and Clarity.
Language
Whilst the English language is one of the primary languages used on the net, in this case I am talking more about the use of the language. User focused content steers clear of technical, jargon or ‘in house’ languages. Keeping your message simple and straight forward means that anyone from any education background can understand you. The more technical you get, the more readers you will lose.
Message
Having a message that the reader will find valuable. This may a problem solving message, or a list valuable of information, or for some, an account of the daily activities. What is important is that your reader needs something. Help; entertainment; to be a part of a debate. There are many different styles of message.
Clarity
Clarity is providing your message in a straightforward language in bite size pieces. Keeping the paragraphs short certainly helps. Using bold to highlight important components also helps. My first word processing teacher many, many years ago, suggested that in a short message, simply reading down the bolded words should summarize that message. It is an interesting concept and would certainly provide your reader with a quick fix.
The term user focused boils down to – wait for it – focusing on your user. Providing them with content that satisfies a need; even if that need is entertainment; and providing that content in a clear and concise way. if you can provide that content on a regular basis you find yourself developing a loyal group of readers.
Killer Article Titles
You have probably read a thousand different versions of a post like this, however everyone has different spin on what makes a killer article title. This is probably one of the easiest traffic magnets when it comes to article writing, yet it is often not given the thought it deserves. Here are couple of suggestions when it comes to article titles.
First, place yourself in your readers shoes. Sometimes we are a little close to the action and cannot see past our own experiences. If you work in the shoe shine business, a title like ’5 top shoe shine tips’ would probably have you going ho-hum, seen it before – and that is often a writers biggest mistake. They forget the reader who may not have seen it before.
This can be very true when you ask someone else to write an article for you. They are often writing from a completely different perspective to yourself and upon seeing the article, your first impression is no, not good enough. I suggest you re-look at the document and then try and see it from a novices perspective. The same can be said for titles.
Killer article titles are ‘killers’ because they compel the reader to read the first couple of paragraphs of the article. If they like what they see they will contunue reading. The traditional ‘killer’ titles still work because human nature is attracted to what they offer.
If you see a title that opens with:
- 5 golden rules
- 5 top tips
- 5 best
- 5 number one
You are going to read the article, if the words that follow match your interests. The opening words draw your eyes, the tail of the sentence seals the deal. If I wrote and article on the ’5 best WordPress plugins’ and you used WordPress, you will most likely check out what I had to say. Humans being humans, this may have been the tenth article with this headline today, you will still go and check it out – human nature.
The content of course has to be worthy of reading. We will often read the first paragraph or two. If you don’t win your reader with those lines, your finished. the reader will move on.
Killer titles are just that. They don’t make or break and article, they help find your readers and without those titles, you will struggle to find readers. The most important issue is write your title with the assumption the reader doesn’t have a wealth on knoweledge in the subject matter – in fact this is why the want to read your article – to get that knowledge.
Five Keys To Great Content
There is good content and there is great content. The difference being?? Good content will often satisfy a reader – great content will not only satisfy them, it will have them talking about it and wanting to be a part of it, either by commenting or by referring and linking. How do you write great content?
- Unique – unique does not necessarily mean finding a new topic that no one else has written on – it is however about putting a unique spin on a topic. Fifty people can report the same story, but one will always stand out. It stands out because they have put their own unique stamp on the story.
- User Focused – people search the internet looking for something. Provide that something for them to find. Focus on what people are looking for and you will find your readers.
- Honesty – don’t try to write about topics you have limited knowledge about unless you are prepared to do the research. Write crap and you will get a crappy reputation. People will always find you our when you try to write in areas that you have no knowledge off.
- Well Written - you don’t need to be an English master to write good English. Simple spell checkers will solve many problems. Having a proof reader also helps. Writing in a natural style using plain English will win you more readers than by trying to bamboozle them with highly technical terms.
- Easily Read – make your content easily read, easily scanned and easy on the eye. This is a combination of font style, size and content design. Bullet or numbered points are easy to scan. Using bold or italics where appropriate enables easy scanning.
These five steps will ensure your content is good – very good. What about great? Great comes from the heart and sole. Not every article can be great. However, if they are not on the road to being good, they will never be great.
We live to think we provide good content with that occasional touch of inspirational ‘great’ content. If you struggle to write regular content for your sites, talk to us at Blog Content Provider. We have a range of solutions that may help you achieve a regular reader base.
What Content Can I Put On A Blog?
That’s a bit like asking ‘what sort of book should I write?” It is up to you what you put into a blot. Your blog’s content depends very much on what you are attempting to do with your blog.
Blogs can be personal diaries relating your day to day activities. Blogs can be vehicles used to promote yourself or your writings, be it political, sport, celebrities, poetry, short stories or any other genre. Many blogs are business blogs written specifically for their customers or potential customers. The content needs to match your reasons for having a blog.
Looking at business blogs as a prime example. Posts on these blogs can be written as pre-sales information articles or as post sales FAQ’s and ‘how to’s’ – or perhaps catering to both groups. Pre-sales posts often include photos or graphics with associated text designed to sell the virtues of the product. Post-sales posts may describe how to maintain, update/upgrade or carry out minor repairs to the product.
Personal blogs can be written as journals or daily accounts of the writers life. They can often include pictures, photos or graphics that appeal to the writer that they wish to share with the world.
In between sit blogs that are of both a personal and income producing nature. The writer produces content that they feel the general population may be interested in. At the same time they have a variety of income producing options such as Adsense or affiliate advertising.
Your blog should be a tool that helps you to achieve something. For personal blogs, this could be as simple as personal satisfaction. For businesses, their blogs are generally aimed at the development of customer relationships and by providing quality before and after sales service.
A good business blog can have a substantially positive affect on your reputation, your sales and ultimately your profitability. Well written blogs demonstrate a real professional approach to customer relationships – if you are not able to produce that quality content on a regular basis then it could be well worth your time looking at professional blog management assistance.
