Content is king again! Smart newsletter publishers, whether in print or online, are finally realizing that readers aren’t looking to buy their stuff. They are looking for solutions.
And the best way to provide solutions is by providing information that readers can use. It is also the best way to gain the trust of those who will eventually want to buy your solutions.
One piece of advice: the more specialized or focused your solutions are, the better. Why? Because the more you can offer solutions that speak directly to a person’s challenge or pain point, the more valuable you are to the reader.
Whether it’s a B2B newsletter that I charged $1,595 for or a B2C post that cost $19.95, one thing has always held true is that the content had to address solutions for a specific audience. The content is what kept them coming back. The content also helped foster a relationship with readers who trusted us for other solutions offered at conferences, seminars, manuals, reports, books, and other “back-end products.”
But it all starts with valuable content. These are my 6 tips that have helped me and my staff over the years.
6 steps to creating great content
Step #1: You must have a great idea to start with. I have often asked our writers/editors to come to the story meeting with the first paragraph written as they see the story. Often it wasn’t great at the time, but by discussing the topic we could usually come up with a great idea and if not, we knew at the time that we had to come up with a better main story. It’s important for writers to come to the story conference with the lead paragraph already written because you want them to really give some thought to how they see the story shaping up.
Step #2: Each article must answer the question: What does it contain for the reader (WIIFR)? In fact, the lead paragraph will often answer that question. If the answer is not in the first paragraph, it should not be beyond the third or fifth paragraph, depending on the length of the article. Each article should have a reason why the writer tells the reader, “This is so important that you should not only take the time to read it, but also pay me to read it.”
To answer that question, the article must be written for the reader, not for anyone else. Some of the newsletters I published targeted very specific markets, such as credit union CEOs, bank compliance officers, and auto dealers. Not only are they each written for a niche industry, but they are written for and for a specific position in that industry. Every article should be written with that person in mind.
Step #3: What can you do to keep your readers interested? Any publisher worth the ink or HTML code required to produce content will be sure to follow steps 1 and 2. So what can you do to make your articles stand out from the rest? If your post and a competitor’s post are on a desk or coffee table, what are you going to do to make sure the reader picks yours up first and doesn’t immediately leave? Can you take a contrary position? Can you invoke any controversy by pitting two sources against each other? Marketing expert and business coach Jon Goldman (www.BrandLauncher.com) asks, “Where can you zigzag where everyone else zags?” What unique angle can you have? Are there any unique sources or ideas you can bring to the article?
Step #4: What sources or anecdotes will you use to bring the story to life? A story is only as good as the ideas within the story. These stories within the story often come from other sources or from anecdotes that help paint a picture. For example, I just finished working with the writers of US News and World Report’s new car review site, and unlike most other car review sites, it relies entirely on other sources. The articles are packed with great car buying information brought to life with anecdotes and comments from other reviewers.
Step #5: Create compelling copy. This is often where I see writers, editors, and even publishers getting lazy. Simply gathering information is not enough. It has to be convincing. He has to grab you and hold you so that you are so involved that anything else would be a rude and irritating disturbance. Will every story do that? Of course not. But it is something your writers and editors must strive for at all times! As I often say, it is an art, not a science, and therefore it must be an art that is constantly practiced. That’s why I’m always looking for talented writers who care about producing great content first. You can teach the subject. it will come. The care and dedication it takes to produce great content can’t be taught, and great content will always win in a competitive marketplace.
Step #6: Write strong and intriguing titles and subtitles. I mention the latter for a reason. In fact, all the steps are listed in order of how they should be tackled. But it is important to leave the writing of the title and subtitles for the end. I don’t know how many times I found the headline in the first paragraph, or worse, it’s buried at the end of the article. A good headline should grab you, intrigue you, and tell you why it’s so important that you drop everything you’re doing to read the article. Subtitles should also not be overlooked. The subheading is a tool to keep the reader interested in the article and in some cases draw the reader into the article, so it should include a benefit. They must also answer the question: What’s in it for me?
Use those 6 steps and you’ll be on your way to delivering a great newsletter editorial that your readers can use. For more tips and ideas visit http://www.ThePubGuru.com
