{"id":6451,"date":"2015-05-27T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2015-05-27T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/memberpress.com\/?p=6451"},"modified":"2017-10-04T19:14:44","modified_gmt":"2017-10-05T01:14:44","slug":"7-tips-for-standout-content-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/memberpress.com\/de\/blog\/7-tips-for-standout-content-2\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Tips for Standout Content"},"content":{"rendered":"

Unless you\u2019ve been living under a rock somewhere, you know the information age is in full swing. And information is likely what you\u2019re peddling to grow your business and maybe even change the world. But if you\u2019re going to stand out in today\u2019s competitive and fast-paced information market, your premium content, blogs, newsletters, and your online presence need to deliver more than just information \u2014 they need to offer compelling<\/em> information that will make your customers loyal and keep readers coming back for more.<\/p>\n

Having standout content is absolutely essential \u2014 and you can have exactly that if you follow these seven techniques to win readers over.<\/p>\n

1) Connect with Your Audience<\/h4>\n

You want to know the people to whom you\u2019re talking. Know what they like, need, want, do. Know how they live, work, play. And absolutely <\/em>know what information, answers, or help they are looking for so you can be the one to provide it. A good place to start is feedback on your own website or blog \u2014 but don\u2019t stop there. What is your potential audience talking about on social media? Check out what your competitors are posting. Then take a careful look at the most popular posts out there. Chances are, you\u2019ll see a pattern emerging. Then tackle that pattern with your unique angle and voice.<\/p>\n

Along with honing your voice, be sincere and authentic. You have to strike a balancing act between being confident and being humble \u2014 have enough credibility to inspire confidence in your readers but enough humility to come across as friendly and approachable. Keep your voice upbeat and welcoming and make it clear you have confidence in your potential customer (focusing on their goals\/aspirations and needs rather than their problems or fears). Depending on your audience, adjust your word choice and style to match the actual language they\u2019re using. That\u2019s one reason it\u2019s so important to know and understand your audience. A website for Harley Davidson enthusiasts is going to have a very different tone and feel than one for stock market investors.<\/p>\n

2) Keep Content and Organization Easy to Follow<\/h4>\n

Keep it simple and clear, no matter the audience. Readers don\u2019t want to wade through long, convoluted sentences with multi-syllabic words. (Kind of like that sentence just had!) Even if your primary audience is college-educated professionals, everyone is in a rush nowadays. Your goal should be to provide concise, well-organized information that can be read at a glance or listened to while the viewer is exercising or cleaning house. If you use too many fancy words or jargon from your field, even the brightest reader will probably go looking for a quicker read that doesn\u2019t require as much concentration.<\/p>\n

Short, snappy sentences are great, but vary sentence length for interest. You can throw in a few<\/em> fancy words \u2014 just make sure their meaning is clear from the context or define them for the reader (only using those your readers actually need to know).<\/p>\n

The most important tactic is to make sure you stay focused on the promise of your hook and title and that your organization supports that. Write in scannable sections (for written content). But for any kind of content, break it up into clearly labeled sections and even subsections where necessary, using bold headers and plenty of white space or bullets or numbered lists (and\/or sound\/visual transitions and titles that make the logical organization clear). Doing so helps the reader stay focused and makes it easier for them to remember your takeaways (which is key to viewers feeling that they gained what they needed from your content).<\/p>\n

3) Be Unique and Enlightening<\/h4>\n

Distinguish your material by offering at least one new insight into your topic. It doesn\u2019t have to be the greatest thing since sliced bread \u2014 you don\u2019t need to figure out cold fusion or the cure for the common cold, and you definitely don\u2019t have to reinvent the wheel \u2014 but you just want to offer angles and ideas that haven\u2019t gotten much coverage anywhere else. It may be new resources, a unique way of viewing or applying the info, or even an inspiring story that allows readers to comprehend the material in a fresh new light. It could even be as simple as old ideas combined in a new and exciting way.<\/p>\n

4) Be Entertaining<\/h4>\n

The best way to make information stick with your readers is to make it entertaining. People love stories. If you can wrap your ideas around a story or anecdote, a fun analogy or interesting statistic, it will be memorable, and readers\/customers will keep coming back for more of your brand of enlightenment.<\/p>\n

5) Don\u2019t Get Analysis Paralysis<\/h4>\n

Strive for quality, not perfection. The desire for perfection is the ultimate creative block. If you try too hard to create the perfectly inspiring, perfectly helpful, most brilliantly written, most innovative, award-worthy article or video, be prepared to fail. Nothing quells writing and communication like trying for perfection. And you\u2019ll burn out pretty fast, too, when it takes readers longer to appreciate your efforts than you hoped.<\/p>\n

Instead, strive for quality<\/em>. Writing\/creating is a craft and an art and a science and sometimes even a mystery. Do your best \u2014 do your homework, work your system, hire an editor if you can afford to, and have a little fun. But stop stressing about perfection. Even the greatest masterpieces ever written have some flaws. You\u2019ll be in good company.<\/p>\n

6) Be Accurate<\/h4>\n

Be absolutely certain that the information you offer is accurate. When possible, use references from trusted experts and recognized sources in addition to the evidence of how it worked for you, especially if what you\u2019re saying goes against the grain or could be questioned by others in your field (and make sure you cite sources for ideas or quotes). Your source of information is as important as your message. A really great idea that doesn\u2019t have any supporting evidence can\u2019t be trusted by your reader, and, as a result, might be dismissed out of hand.<\/p>\n

Testimonials and real-life experiences not only provide supporting evidence, but help readers relate to the material. When possible, use links to guide readers to your supporting material \u2014 you\u2019ll be providing additional resources and expanded information that they can study and apply to their own situation. You\u2019re showing them without question that you have their best interests at heart. (It\u2019s fine to provide those links at the end of your content so the reader doesn\u2019t wander into the Net and forget what they were doing on your site.)<\/p>\n

7) Include a Simple, Actionable Takeaway<\/h4>\n

Readers come to your site\/buy your content because they need to solve a problem. They want helpful advice. They want effective strategies. They want inspiration. They want hope. No matter the topic, they\u2019re at your site because they\u2019re looking for \u201cactionable\u201d solutions. You need to make sure that\u2019s what you\u2019re providing.<\/p>\n

After you\u2019ve checked off everything above, the final question to ask is whether you\u2019ve helped your readers\/clients solve their problem. Have you made sure to clearly tell the viewer HOW to put the concept you shared into action so they can get results NOW? Can they now look at things from a new perspective, and did you help them see the potential they can reach with the skill set\/content you\u2019re providing?<\/p>\n

Highly \u201cshareable\u201d content that people pass on first created a strong emotional response that motivated them to action. This is why leads with \u201cactionable\u201d titles do so well to draw readers in (\u201cTop Ten Tips for\u2026\u201d and \u201cStep-by-Step Method for \u2026\u201d and \u201c5-Must-Ask Questions Before You\u2026\u201d). And the more tangible the benefit of the action, the more excited the reader will be to try it and share it. Making sure readers have a clear, actionable takeaway they can apply to their lives today (that you specifically challenge them to do) taps into a part of human psychology that tells viewers they\u2019ve already accomplished something just by learning a solution.<\/p>\n

That feeling \u2014 that the reader has already grown\/changed and can act on that change \u2014 is highly motivating and creates an excitement to share those inspiring ideas with others. It also prompts loyalty to the person who helped facilitate that breakthrough \u2014 you. So make sure the lead and content for each piece you create focuses on the takeaway readers are looking for, and remember to suggest a few specific steps they can act on immediately with that takeaway.<\/p>\n

The Wrap-up:<\/strong> Creating your content can seem intimidating when you\u2019re staring at a blank page on your screen. Don\u2019t be daunted! Start with these seven tips as your checklist (and with practice you can use them as a recipe to write a little faster<\/a>); soon you\u2019ll have great content that keeps your readers engaged, excited, and satisfied \u2014 and that will keep them coming back on a regular basis to find out what\u2019s new and cool with their favorite guru.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Unless you\u2019ve been living under a rock somewhere, you know the information age is in full swing. And information is likely what you\u2019re peddling to grow your business and maybe even change the world. But if you\u2019re going to stand out in today\u2019s competitive and fast-paced information market, your premium content, blogs, newsletters, and your [\u2026]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2987,"featured_media":15931,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_strive_editorial_status":"not-started","_strive_copy_of":0,"inline_featured_image":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","_FSMCFIC_featured_image_caption":"","_FSMCFIC_featured_image_nocaption":"","_FSMCFIC_featured_image_hide":"","_strive_checklists":"\"\"","_strive_active_checklist":"62291e2bb2422","_strive_post_notes":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[69,120],"tags":[234,118,163,235],"class_list":{"0":"post-6451","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-advice","8":"category-content","9":"tag-compelling-content","10":"tag-content-creation","11":"tag-content-mill","12":"tag-writing-techniques","13":"entry"},"acf":{"plans":["scale"],"is_featured":false,"download_source":"none","mothership_slug":"","download_url":""},"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t