4 Valuable Tips for Creating Great Content If You're Not a Writer

The entire purpose of a website is to get traffic and increase your local business success. There are a few proven ways to increase the chances of getting traffic to your site, and one of those is content creation. But not just any content: You need to create high-quality content, to be specific. If you're not a writer, this is easier said than done. Creating great long-form content is time-consuming and it takes skill.

So why long-form content? Because it's proven to rank higher than short-form content. It also benefits from getting more shares. Long-form content can mean anything from 800 words to 5,000 words. Simply put, long articles do better than short articles. This fact makes things even more challenging for website owners who are not writers.

Part of the reason why long content is so effective is that not many marketers and writers are willing to accept the challenge of creating it. Luckily, we have 4 valuable tips for creating great content if you're not a writer. These should help you get off to a great start!

The first step is to find the best keywords to target in your article. This is arguably the most important step. Remember, long-form content takes a lot of time to create, so you want to ensure that you're targeting keywords that are worth the time and effort. You want to get a high return on your investment (time & money).

For a project like this, you'll want to target broad keywords. You want keywords that receive high search volume. So, in this case, long-tail keywords are not the best option for you. Keywords with a good balance of traffic and competitiveness are what you're looking for. Search volume is essential because it gives you the best chance of receiving website visitors and customers.

Look at the competitors who are ranking for the keyword(s) of interest. Do they have the high-quality long-form content that you're looking to create? Is it possible to out-do their content and take away some of their traffic? Does their content have depth? What's the format like? Does it have a great headline and plenty of interesting images? These are important questions you need to ask when considering which keywords to target.

The second step is to figure out what style of content you want to create. For example, would you like to create a list article or a thought piece? An infographic or a conventional article? Each style has its benefits and drawbacks. It's up to you to choose wisely. Generally, list articles will be the easiest to create, while thought pieces will require real in-depth knowledge to write properly.

The third step is to create an outline. An outline is essential because it will ensure quality. Keep in mind that the freelance writers you hire might not have the same ideas as you. Giving your writer an outline will save them time (and, in turn, reduce cost) and ensure that they create the article you wanted. When creating your outline, go into as much detail as possible, and feel free to use an online outline tool to help. Add examples, and any other relevant details you want your writer to keep in mind.

The fourth step is to hire the writer. Since you're not a writer, your best bet is to actually have a professional writer write the article for you. It'll save you a lot of time and plenty of headaches. Be prepared to pay if you want a well-written article. $5 to $10 per 100 words is a fair rate. Preferably, choose a writer who has experience in your particular niche. Freelance writers can be found on UpWork, Freelancer and Writer Access. There are also many other job boards that you can search, such as ProBlogger. You can even post an ad on Craigslist or search LinkedIn for qualified writers. Before you hire, ask for some samples of past work, so you can ensure they have the talent you're interested in.

If all this sounds a bit overwhelming, you can always count on experts like Zoek to help you out with all things web and digital marketing related. Send us an email, leave a comment, or give us a call with any questions!

#content #contentmarketing #writing #tipsandtricks