How To Write Engaging, Shareable Web Content

All it takes is one engaging article to bring traffic through any company or organization's website, so it's no shock that these days, creative content is gold. Every industry from marijuana dispensaries to law firms and real estate agencies have incorporated blogging and article sharing into their marketing models. If you're a business owner or freelancer looking to cash in and start constructing rich, well-formed content, here are a couple of tips.

1.   Write A Strong Introduction

Every piece needs an introduction that arrests the reader's attention and introduces the topic. The first paragraph needs to convince your audience to keep scrolling, so be sure to mention why what you have to say to them matters. Don't be fooled into thinking that means the more detail and explanation the better; the best intros are sweet, short, and leave your reader wanting more.

2.   Keep It Brief

While the overall desired length of the piece will vary depending on your client and their needs, the best bet is to be concise. Stray away from wordiness or unnecessary detail in order to keep the reader's attention. Most people who will stumble upon your article are just scrolling the Internet and are otherwise liable to click away on a whim. 

3.   Use Headers

Consider the fact that realistically, most of the traffic that lands on a piece will be skimming it rather than reading it start to finish. That's ok. Organize and structure your article accordingly with sections and headers, so if one part of the piece doesn't interest a reader, you don't lose them entirely.

4.   Always Write Content That Answers A Question

To engage an audience, you have to have something to say that they care about. While your day-to-day life and the cute mannerisms of your chihuahua may be incredibly amusing, it's unlikely that the masses are going to care to read an article about either of those things from start to finish. So think about your audience members and what kind of theoretical problems they have. Choose to write a piece that will engage your reader by answering a question they have or dealing with a problem they face.

5.   Use An Appropriate Tone

Consider who you're writing for and the purpose of the content. These two things, along with the desires of your client and the nature of their business or organization, should entirely determine the tone of the piece. Not all tones work for all content. For example, an effective content creator might use an informative, mature yet casual tone for an article on child safety when trick-or-treating. However, a listicle piece on 9 things you didn't know about Britney Spears might take on a cheekier, more playful and edgy tone. Just remember, so much of successful content creation isn't just what you write, but the tone you use to write it in.

6.   Incorporate Keywords

Your client may already have a list of keywords they'd like you to use in order to optimize your writing's search engine results. If not, consider brainstorming and searching for a list of words yourself to try and guide and work into the piece. Not only will this help give you a better vocabulary to write your content with, but it may also help your client get more traffic to the article.

7.   If Appropriate, Provide External Links

If your client approves of it and it suits the format of the work you're doing, try to incorporate outside sources and other links into your content. Although in some cases this is unnecessary or unneeded, the voice and ideas from additional sources will help add breadth and richness to the information you provide and can sometimes convey credibility and expertise to the reader.

8.   Always Aim For Varying Sentence Lengths

If your content is a tangle of long sentences, your reader will get lost. Sure, a lengthier sentence every now and then is alright. However, remember to mix it up. Punctuate paragraphs with longer sentences with shorter ones as well. This helps sentence flow and ultimately builds the rhythm and readability of your writing. 

9.   Never Add Fluff

Because your client may want the article to be a certain length, it might be tempting to add fluff or extra, unnecessary thoughts. To put it simply: don't. Avoid this at all costs. Adding material that isn't strong and directly related will do nothing but disinterest your reader and weaken your work.

10. Avoid Clichés

If you've heard it a thousand times, chances are that your readers have too. Clichés have their place in pop songs and bad poetry--leave them out of your writing. Instead, when a cliché comes to mind, break it down and reconstruct it into a new, fresh phrase or description instead.

In short, content creation isn't just about putting words in a document and slapping it up on a webpage. Informed, engaging writing can be a company's most essential asset, and these ten tips can help you make sure your content dazzles like it should.