The Art of Quality Content

Walking into his classroom on any given day, it wasn’t at all uncommon to be welcomed by the classical sounds of Bach, Mozart, or Chopin. Mr. Haan kept a healthy collection of vinyl albums neatly organized in a corner near the front of the room. Close-by was an equally classic record player. Despite its age, it was still quite capable of casting a rich blend of choreographed notes and subdued crackles that give LPs their allure and appreciation.

The irony wasn’t lost on me. When presented as notes upon a page, these classical works could inflict me with deep anxiety and dread when seated at a piano in some hall intentionally selected for annual recitals. Yet, delivered on the gentle, rolling waves of sound the very same notes would allow feelings of calm to wash over nearly all of us in the room.

I liked this class. Though before I get too far into what I ultimately learned, you should know the class wasn’t part of my high school’s music department. This was English Literature, generally reserved for our senior year as a requirement for graduation.

Building on the Fundamentals

Mr. Haan could have easily directed one of our choirs in addition to the classes he taught. Over the years he has composed a wide collection of liturgical music and authored books sharing collections of his poems. He was far more talented in many areas than I think most of us understood or even knew at the time.?

What I appreciated was his ability to unravel and translate a story and the deeper meaning within whatever classic book, poem, or play we were attempting to comprehend. Maybe what I enjoyed most was that his class moved beyond the basic fundamentals taught in other English classes. At this point in our academic careers we had already covered the elements of sentence structure, descriptive tools, modifiers, tense, and other principles multiple times. That was the science of language and writing. English literature was art.

Learning to Think

Good teachers help you understand what to think. Great teachers help you understand how to think. Mr. Haan was great.

He encouraged us to look past surface level details and to ask ourselves the deeper questions.?

Why is the author describing it this way??

Why is that seemingly out of place word being used??

How does reading this make me feel, or think, or want to act??

Was this what the author wanted?

We were encouraged to draw our own conclusions and explain our rationale. At times I will admit, we could be pretty far off from the author’s intent. A lot had changed between the late 1500’s and when I was in high school.?

However in other situations, Mr. Haan would give us much more leeway to explore and contemplate. I enjoyed this freedom. Mostly, because it felt like I could think outside the lines of just one narrowly scripted interpretation. As long as we could provide a logical rationale to our conclusions, they were generally accepted. Non-linear thinking also led to some great class discussions, adding a bit more excitement and interest to seemingly unrelatable content.

Learning to Write

Ah, but learning to read and decipher the unorthodox words and phrasing of the classics was only one part of the class. The other part was submitting written assignments that captured our explanations and personal insights. Herein lay the biggest challenge and where we discovered the prowess of Mr. Haan’s literary skill set.?

My high school days took place at a time that predates school issued laptops. No, this was a time when pen and parchment were standard equipment. My papers were tattooed in handwritten script and my preferred blue ink, delivered by a very unassuming ball point Bic.?

While highly legible at the time of submission, their return condition could have easily doubled for the backdrop in the final scene of Romeo and Juliet. The juxtaposition of Mr. Haan’s red ink to my blue was very fitting of his one-word description: vile.?

No one in our class escaped the generous outpouring of his critiques. However, he also offered each of us a lifeline for redemption. The follow-up to these assignments was to “rewrite our most slovenus paragraph”. It was only fitting that he used a word that originated in the late 1400’s since only poor substitutes still exist that described our initial attempts.?

This was where I learned to write.

Practice, Practice, Practice

The painful editorial strikes to our initial attempts at writing felt unduly harsh at the start of the semester. For his demeanor and interactions with his students were exactly the opposite. It was an idyllic display of life mimicking art with Mr Haan’s red pen as Mr. Hyde to his caring disposition as Dr. Jekyll. Minus the gruesome ending, of course.?

Our second drafts of those slovenly paragraphs were still no match against the linguistic mastery of Mr. Haan and his red pen. Although greatly improved, our most repulsive sentence was our next and final focal point of improvement. This time his feedback would come in the form of a grade for the assignment.?

The repetitious, and often trying process throughout the semester was nonetheless effective. The ratio of red to blue ink the proof on each returned paper. However, it wasn’t until the following fall that the true extent of my learned abilities were tested as an incoming college freshman in a senior-level expository writing class.

Not only was I able to test out of a prerequisite English course, I also earned an A in that writing class. Mr. Haan had successfully taught me how to write. Though more than that, to appreciate the artistry of weaving words into thought and ideas that could compel, inform, enlighten, and persuade. That class may also explain why I still opt for something classical if music is playing while I’m writing.

Fast Forward to B2B Content Marketing

Mr. Haan wanted his students to gain an appreciation of classic literature (plus a bit of music) and the ability to both create and recognize quality writing.?

Anything I write today has a much different tone and intent. Rather than my interpretation of an English sonnet or Shakespearean play, I find myself answering questions of an ideal customer, explaining the value of corporate services, or crafting an invitation to discover more in both short and long-form content pieces. Yet, in other ways, it is still very much the same.

I no longer have to face the scrutiny of a red pen. Thankfully, I have technology tools and applications that make the process much more effective and efficient. It is much easier to produce content at scale now and the pace has only quickened with AI. But quality content? That still requires the human ability to think, and to rewrite our most slovenus paragraphs and repulsive sentences.

It is easy to get caught up in the mass production of content. The misbelief that enough quantity can overcome quality is alluring, especially as standalone marketing output. Yet, the shiny glitz of quick wins in a game of rankings and leads lacks the stamina of content crafted for duration and the impact of text equipped for business growth.

The constant stream of drivel that is peddled as useful information helps no one. Not our businesses, and definitely not the clients we seek to engage. Perhaps the growing sentiment of displeasure has less to do with the ability to write – really write – than it does with an understanding of how it can be leveraged and implemented within the entire customer lifecycle.

How Does This Help You

More than just sharing the influences that have shaped my writing skills, I see several practical applications for content creators now. Whether you can recall an example or not, you intuitively recognize quality content when you read it. What follows are characteristics that can help your content earn the distinction of quality.

Tells a Story

The best content pulls your audience in, taking them on a journey from what is to what can be. Stories are the best vehicle for accomplishing this transition because of the natural way that examples, illustrations, and proof are incorporated.?

Stories include your audience. It doesn’t matter if your content is educating, entertaining, convincing, or inspiring; there is a shared experience instead of a transactional delivery. You’re inviting someone to participate in a memory or situation that creates commonality essential for building a relationship.

Connects with Your Audience

At the core of quality content is a point of connection. A common bond around some shared trait, knowledge, or attribute that let’s your audience know you understand them. Even more, that they can trust you because you do.

Of course this means you have actually done your homework. Creating ideal customer profiles and buyer personas aren’t just for constructing targeted ads. They are the essential foundation that frames everything from your strategy to each piece of content created. It’s the same correlation of science and art between my English and Literature classes. ICPs and buyer personas are the science behind the art of quality content.

Answers Questions

Quality content – particularly in a B2B setting – provides answers to the questions your audience has. Even with a story format that creates connection, your ideal reader shouldn’t wonder what the purpose of your content is. Give them clear information for all their who, what, where, when, why, or how questions.

This doesn’t mean every piece of content has to answer all their questions at once. Nor can you assume that your answers will never change. Answering additional questions will keep your audience coming back. Updating content to keep it timely, factual, and relevant will build your subject authority and reliability.

Provides Context and Meaning

Now, take your relevant content a step further. Let them know why the details of what you are sharing matter. More specifically, why it matters to them.?

It took me a few months the first time I understood the relevance of my English Literature class with Mr. Haan. He guided and pushed us to write with clarity and depth. Considering the difference in marketing between then and now, I also wonder if he was clairvoyant.?

Don’t make your audience wonder how your content is useful or meaningful to them. The reason won’t always be profound or dramatically change their business, but they should be able to understand the purpose.?

Encourages Participation

The ultimate reason any marketer or creator publishes content is to persuade their audience to take action. Considering the places content is used, it’s a growing list.

• Subscribe to your newsletter
• Follow your social page
• Download a guide
• Watch a video
• Listen to a podcast
• Share your content
• Comment on a social post
• Complete a survey
• Schedule a demo or discovery call
• Respond to an email
• Give you a call
• Sign a contract or place an order
• Provide a referral
• Write a recommendation or review
• Renew their contract

Quality content makes it easy and natural for your audience to participate in building your relationship.?

Improving Your Content and Skill Set

Anything that we want to be really proficient and skilled at takes diligence, practice, and time. This concept explains the cycle of assignments I received in my English Literature class. Whether you are creating content to support your business or personal brand, here are my final suggestions for improvement.

Review High Quality Content?

What characteristics make it stand out? Learning to recognize high quality content will help you identify where you can make adjustments in the pieces you create.

Audit Your Own Content

Once you start seeing the difference between okay and great content, evaluate your own material. What is lacking in items that have low engagement? Once you have those areas identified, edit and update your content and see how that helps.

Become an Active Reader

Reading what other creators are publishing is a given. However, inspiration can come from anywhere. Expand your circle of influence by occasionally reading some non-fiction too. Reading novels expands the imagination and reinforces the art of storytelling – classical work or not.

Maintain a Consistent Writing Habit

Whether you are creating content for yourself or your business, your quality will improve as your consistency and frequency increase.?