The Recipe for Creating Killer Content

The recipe to creating killer content is not a secret. Our blogging experience has taught us that the most successful blog posts in terms of page views, sharability and click-throughs include at least TWO out of these FOUR  ingredients:

– They offer actionable advice

– They take a controversial stance

– They elicit emotion

– They are timely

Before you start on a blog post for your business, be sure you are adding the right items into the mix.

Actionable Advice

You’ve heard the expression, ‘What have you done for me lately?’ That’s exactly what your blog reader is thinking.  In this age of bite-size information, many people troll the Web looking to learn and grow.  Since you are an authority in your field, people are looking to you for help.  Be sure to offer advice that is straightforward, concise, and easy to implement.  No one knows your business better than you.  Share information that can help the reader and they will be more likely to share your blog post — and more importantly — come back for more.

Controversial Stance

As a business owner you work hard to appeal to the masses. After all, you never know where that next sale is coming from.  However, most readers are savvy and can sniff out benign blog posts that are merely designed to populate today’s blog and get recognition from major search engines. Don’t be afraid to take a contrarian view on an issue you feel strongly about.  Do it in a fact-based manner and be sure to address both sides of the issue. Often, you can get your point across without ever attaching the stance to you or your business.  People love drama and are drawn to posts that offer an interesting vantage point.

Elicit Emotion

Much like controversy, people are drawn to feelings.  There’s a reason people love to see pictures of a fox playing nicely with a dog.  Or a puppy rescued from a drain.

Whether you are pulling at heartstrings or leveraging the power of fear, be sure that your words have the ability to conjure up emotion.

Timely

People love to click on things that are relevant.  And I mean like happening now relevant.  Stay in tune with the latest trends and news cycle and incorporate some of those concepts and phrases into a blog post.  For example, draw a parallel to something that a lot of people are currently interested in (i.e. – Obamacare, a holiday, a weather event, etc.)

Blogging is not a science, but use these key ingredients as part of your formula and you will be one step closer to entertaining readers and retaining them.