When it comes to online marketing, perhaps no other element in your strategy is more important than the content you’re publishing. Everything you put out there with your brand name will ultimately reflect on your business, so making sure you produce high-quality, well-researched, relevant content is critical to your success.

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Unfortunately, there’s no secret, cut-and-dry formula for writing winning content. Ultimately, it all comes down to hard work, talent, knowing who you’re writing for, and applying some tips and tricks of the trade. Here are some I’d love to share with you:

1. Pay attention to your headlines and titles

The headline is the first thing readers will see, and they will use it to judge whether the rest of the text is worth their time. If it doesn’t spark interest from the beginning, you’ll be hard-pressed to get them to read the rest of what you have to say about any topic.

2. Don’t just write content for the sake of publishing something

Do your research, prove that what you have to say is relevant, insightful, and applicable to their needs. Your credibility in whatever niche you’re trying to grow in is hinged on how much knowledge and trustworthiness you’re able to impart through your content—use it wisely. And remember, always review your content to ensure it’s on target.

3. SEO matters

No, you shouldn’t create content solely to rank on search engines. However, incorporating best-practice SEO techniques makes a world of difference in ensuring your content is visible and searchable. Good keyword research matters and keyword stuffing should be avoided.

4. Don’t forget to link to your sources

Not only is linking back to your sources good internet etiquette, you also want to ensure that people reading your content have the option to read further from the credible sources you based your piece on.

Additionally, backlinks also help make your content more visible on search engines.

5. Write in simple, easy-to-read, bite-sized pieces

Always avoid publishing material that looks like it’s going to be difficult to read. What do I mean by this? Lengthy walls of text, complicated and long sentences, content filled with jargon—all these can be very off-putting for the average reader, especially online readers with short attention spans.

Instead, try breaking up your text in smaller, shorter sentences. Add bullets to your content to make it easier for the eye to travel. Include relevant media whenever possible, such as images or videos to make your content more engaging and interesting.

One final tip…

Give your content a thorough read through before you hit publish. Typos look unprofessional and communicate that your business didn’t care enough to ensure that they produce great material for their readers. This should go without saying, but even small details can often go overlooked.

Hope my answer helps! If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment below or join the conversation on Twitter or LinkedIn.